FG Raises Fresh Ebola Alert as Liberia Confirms Resurgence

 
Federal government yesterday raised the Ebola alert level across all states, urging the ministries of health and health facilities across the country to report any suspected case to the Federal Ministry of Health.

This is coming as Liberia confirmed a second case of Ebola on Tuesday, just a day after authorities said they had detected a new case of the deadly virus previously thought to have been eliminated from the country.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Health, in a statement by Ayo Adesugba, director, Press, urged Nigerians not to panic but to maintain vigilance.

The statement reads: “A new case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has been reported in Liberia. This means that the country which was certified EVD free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 9, 2015 has witnessed a resurgence of the disease.

“Members of the public are advised to observe basic hygiene and report any suspected case to the nearest health facility.”

The ministry’s spokesperson reiterated means of identifying Ebola cases, saying: “It must be noted that the main symptoms of the Ebola Virus Disease are fever, severe headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Patients in some cases, also have neurological symptoms of becoming confused and restless.

In Liberia, authorities said they had detected a new case of the deadly virus previously thought to have been eliminated from the country.

“We have two confirmed cases today in Liberia,” said Dr Moses Massaquoi, Case Management team leader for Liberia’s Ebola task force. He did not provide details of the new case.

The body of a 17 year-old boy from Margibi County, a rural area outside of Monrovia, was confirmed to be positive for the virus on Sunday and was buried the same day.

It is not clear how he was infected and the information was not made public until Tuesday.

Massaquoi said tests were underway to establish whether there are further cases.

Health officials said they isolated people who had contact with the teenager and are at risk of further infection.

A message from a social media account of the Liberian Information Ministry said two people from the teenager’s home had been confirmed as Ebola positive.

It was not immediately possible to verify that information nor was it clear if that included the case cited by Massaquoi.

Liberia, once at the centre of the worst recorded Ebola epidemic in history, was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation on May 9 after going 42 days with no new infections.

The cross-border outbreak has killed more than 11,200 people since it began in December 2013. Twenty new cases were reported in the week to June 21 in Guinea and Sierra Leone.