The
Federal Government, Thursday, confirmed that the doctor that died in a hospital
in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, died of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.
The
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, told journalists in Abuja on Thursday
that the doctor contacted the disease after treating a patient who came in
contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought Ebola to
Nigeria.
This
patient, whose name was not given, is believed to be a foreign diplomat.
According
to the minister, the patient after experiencing some symptoms, went for
treatment. “This primary contact of Mr. Sawyer’s evaded our surveillance team
in the last week of July 2014 and travelled out of Lagos to Port Harcourt
where, as we now understand, he consulted with a doctor and was apparently
treated for some symptoms,” he said. “After four days, following a manhunt for
him, he returned to Lagos by which time he was found to be without symptoms.”
The same was, however, not the case for the
doctor who treated him as he got infected and finally died on August 22.
“Following
the report of this death by the doctor’s widow the next day, the case had been
thoroughly investigated and laboratory analysis showed that this doctor died
from EVD,” the minister said.
“As
a result, several contacts have now been traced, registered and placed under
surveillance. However, because the widow is now symptomatic, she has been
quarantined pending the outcome of laboratory tests on her.”
Mr.
Chukwu, a professor, did not mention the name of the doctor. He said the wife
of the doctor has been quarantined and 70 other contacts have since been traced
and placed under surveillance in Port Harcourt.
The
Minister appealed to residents under surveillance in Port Harcourt to abide by
the advice given to them by health officials. He urged other residents not to
panic, saying the Nigerian government is in full control of the situation. The
doctor’s death brings to six the number of people that have died of Ebola in
Nigeria. The first five, including Mr. Sawyer, died in Lagos.
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