Nigerian Doctor positive to Ebola, seven others on close watch

One of the eight people who had direct contact with the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer who imported Ebola Virus Decease into Nigeria has tested positive to EVD.
This was disclosed yesterday evening at a press briefing held at the Central Public Health Laboratory Services, Yaba Lagos and addressed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris and the Director, Nigeria Center for Decease Control, Abuja, Professor. Abdulsalami Nasidi.
According to the state Commissioner for Health, the newly infected person is one of the female doctors at the health facility where Patrick Sawyer was being treated. It was said that she may have contracted the deadly decease before it was discovered that Patrick Sawyer was carrying EVD.
Dr Idris said: "As at today, one person out of the eight people who had direct contact with the late victim of Ebola has tested positive. The state has established isolation and treatment centre to hospitalised this patient.

"The staff at this centre have also been trained on how to treat and handle the patients under their care. The hospital is also provided with enough facilities to ensure that the officials and other patients do not contact the virus.
"The patients under our surveillance were those who had personal contact with the late Liberian. And the rapid response team had been in communication with these patients who developed fever and other symptoms.
"We will not stop in tracking all those who had contact with the late Liberian. The contact remain in isolation until the confirmatory results are in and those who test positive for the virus, will remain in isolation until they are no longer infectious.
"The occurrence of secondary cases was expected given the nature of the contact these people had with the patient from Liberian. This was because they were unaware of the patients status; until the management of the hospital informed the state government of the development."
The commissioner appealed to the Nigerian Medical Association NMA who are still on strike to sheath their swords and call off their strike and join government's team to fight the virus.
The commissioner said, "we will also welcome volunteer from the health profession and those who accept volunteer shall be given incentive. We also appeal to residents to support the government in fighting the scourge."
Also speaking, Professor Nasidi said the state and federal government are doing every thing to curb the spread of the decease even as he dispelled the rumour making the rounds that the infected patient is already dead.
He said: "We will not be able to release the name of the new contact but we know that the person is a doctor and a female. The patient is not dead. She is alive. Experts from the local and international organisations are attending to the patient."