Lagos and Niger tighten Ebola checks after Abuja imported case
- Lagos say e no get Ebola case but don increase screening for Murtala Muhammed airport.
- Niger State say Suleja dey on high alert because of plenty traffic with Abuja.
- Nigeria confirm one imported Ebola Bundibugyo case in Abuja on October 20, with 44 contacts dey monitored.
Lagos and Niger states don move to tighten Ebola surveillance after Nigeria confirm one imported case in Abuja, even as both governments talk say no case don show for their states.
The federal case, wey dem confirm on October 20, na di country first one in about ten years. According to di Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and di World Health Organisation, di patient na 42-year-old woman wey travel from Uganda and land for Abuja on October 3 on Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Di Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, talk say dem don identify 44 contacts and dem dey monitor dem. Di Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) don activate im incident management system to contain any spread.
Wetin Lagos and Niger dey do
Lagos Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi talk on Sunday say no Ebola case dey for di state. He talk say di state Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health dey strengthen surveillance, risk communication and community engagement.
Di state also do assessment for Murtala Muhammed International Airport with airport management, Port Health Services and other aviation and public health stakeholders. Di focus na passenger screening, information sharing, infection prevention and control, and coordination of emergency response.
For Niger State, Health Commissioner Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana talk say Suleja dey on heightened alert because e share boundary with Federal Capital Territory and e dey see heavy daily transit and trade with Abuja. He talk say dem don intensify surveillance across di state, especially for Suleja, and dem don sensitise health workers to detect and report suspected cases quick.
Wetin e mean for residents
Ebola dey spread mainly through direct contact with blood and other body fluids of person wey already dey show symptoms, contaminated materials, or bodies of people wey die from di disease. E fit also spread through contact with infected animals.
Symptoms fit show between two and 21 days after exposure and include fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Some patients also get unexplained bleeding or bruising.
Abayomi note say early symptoms fit look like malaria. Under Lagos fever-management policy, anybody wey get fever suppose do malaria rapid diagnostic test before buying antimalarial medicine. If di test negative, health worker suppose check for other causes.
He advise residents to wash hands regular, avoid contact with body fluids of sick people and avoid contact with sick or dead animals. Travellers wey arrive Nigeria, especially from areas wey dey report Ebola transmission, suppose cooperate with Port Health Services and give correct travel and health information. He urge travellers to consult official advisories from NCDC, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
Bagana urge Niger residents to rely on official updates and avoid spreading misinformation.
Anybody for Lagos wey suspect exposure fit call 112 or 767, or Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health on 08023169485. Abayomi talk say di state go continue to monitor developments, strengthen surveillance and response readiness, and provide verified updates as necessary.
