Ebola: Nigerian Government Places Country’s Borders on Red Alert

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Saturday, July 26th, 2014

The Nigerian Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has formally confirmed the first nation’s Ebola causality – death of a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer on Friday in Lagos, South Western Nigeria.

Late Patrick Sawyer

The Minister explained that Sawyer’s blood sample was taken to the advance laboratory at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), where he was confirmed and diagnosed of the Ebola virus disease. He said the diagnosis was corroborated by another outside the country.

Sawyer, a Consultant with the Liberian Ministry of Finance prior to his death on Friday, had similar case in his extended family. His sister died of Ebola virus three weeks ago and the Liberian authorities have commenced investigation to the level of her contact, before she died. Similar exercise has also begun in Nigeria over late Sawyer’s case.

Health Minister announced that the country has put all entries into the country on red alert after confirming the death of Sawyer who collapsed on Sunday at the airport on the way from Liberia and was rushed to a private hospital in Lagos city, where he was quarantined.

Professor Chukwu added that surveillance has been stepped up at all country’s airports, seaports and land borders. He also disclosed that government has deployed health specialists at all entry points into the country, revealing that the virus, has killed up to 90 per cent of those infected and it spreads through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.

Over 600 people have so far been reportedly killed of Ebola virus since its outbreak in February this year in West Africa sub region.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has however said the United Nations Health agency was still awaiting Sawyer’s test results, its Spokesperson, Paul Gardwood has said.

President Goodluck Jonathan donated substantially towards winning the fight against the spread of the deadly Ebola virus at the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Accra, the Ghanaian capital early this month.