Nigeria reports two suspected Ebola cases and 53 contacts
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Pmnewsnigeria
Nigerian health authorities have reported two additional suspected Ebola cases and identified 53 contacts linked to the first confirmed case. Jide Idris, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, gave the update in Abuja, according to PM News Nigeria.
Nigeria has identified two additional suspected cases of Ebola virus disease and 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory. Jide Idris, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), announced this in Abuja on Sunday 25 October, according to the NCDC.
Of the 53 people being monitored, 44 are linked to the health facility where the confirmed patient was treated and nine were identified during further investigations. This second group includes three members of the patient’s family, three health workers who treated her at a previous facility and three people involved in collecting samples, according to the NCDC. No contact had developed symptoms or tested positive at the time of the update.
The exposed people are being monitored for 21 days after their last possible contact with the virus. The NCDC also said that about 12 public and private laboratories could carry out tests for Ebola virus disease and called on facilities to strengthen patient triage, infection prevention and the protection of healthcare workers.
The announcement comes after the confirmation of Nigeria’s first Ebola case on 23 October, and after the case was detected following a 13-day period, announced on 22 October. The authorities had already called on Nigerian hospitals to strengthen screening for Ebola virus disease on 22 October.
