Confirmed Ebola cases in Nigeria rise to 19

Fifty days since Ebola virus disease (EVD) was imported into Nigeria by the index case, Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American, the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria has now risen to 19 from the earlier 18 the country recorded last week.

A breakdown of the confirmed cases reveals that fifteen of these cases were in Lagos and four others in Port Harcourt.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, the minister of health, who confirmed this to BusinessDay, revealed that the 19th case is the fiancé of one of the primary contacts of Patrick Sawyer who died of the disease.

According to the minister, “The test results were equivocal but further tests established the disease. He had only mild symptoms and he has since recovered from the illness. He was quarantined but because of the equivocal test result he was not placed on active treatment. The total number of deaths from EVD in Nigeria stands at seven. Five of this died in Lagos, one in a private hospital, the index case Mr. Sawyer, and the other four in the isolation ward in Lagos State.

“Two of the seven died in Port Harcourt, the medical doctor who died in a private hospital and the contact, a patient in the hospital at the time the doctor was also on admission, who died in the isolation ward in Rivers State. The total number of patients who have been successfully managed and discharged stands at nine. The latest is the sister of the Port Harcourt doctor who was discharged from the isolation ward in Rivers State yesterday (Sunday)”.

Chukwu stated that nine patients successfully managed and discharged were among 11 survivors of EVD in the country.

Regarding contacts currently under surveillance, the minister added that Lagos has 27 contacts under surveillance at the moment.

According to him, “A total of 339 contacts, who were previously on surveillance have been discharged having completed 21 days of observation. Port Harcourt has 477 contacts under surveillance. It is a mixed group consisting of tertiary and quaternary contacts of Mr. Sawyer’s. Five contacts have already been discharged from surveillance in Port Harcourt having completed 21 days of observation.

“At the moment only one person, the wife of the Port Harcourt doctor is on treatment in the isolation ward in Lagos. She no longer has any symptoms and is undergoing series of tests preparatory to her discharge from the isolation ward this week.”

ALEXANDER CHIEJINA