By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has urged Abuja residents not to panic as there is no case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the nation’s capital.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, on Friday, the Mandate secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said there was a suspected case but after the necessarily tests in one of the hospitals it was discovered to be negative.
She revealed that the suspect came in from Rwanda which is close to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that had the case.
Fasawe also noted that the minister of FCT Nyesom Wike had directed that measures should be put in place to strengthen border surveillance in the territory.
“Under the directive and support of the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, we will continue to intensify monitoring and screening procedures at all points of entry.
” I want to say that diseases don’t respect states, nationality, or religion. Diseases also don’t respect borders. What has happened is that in Congo, Ebola has been confirmed, it is a disease of high consequence.
“When I say high consequence, it means that one, it’s highly transmissible. Two, it kills very fast, in which within 24 to 48 hours of being infectious, if you do not get the right treatment, you’re gone.
“But due to our operating protocols that has been put in place by the Minister of FCT, we have been able to curtail, not only that, high index of suspicion, and we picked up the suspect for confidentiality reasons, and I hereby officially announce that she is negative for Ebola and negative for Marburg disease.
“These are viral hemorrhagic fevers that can lead to death and can affect all of us in less than 24 hours. It has been curtailed. It is
negative”
