Ebola Virus: Govt Intensifies Efforts To Identify Contacts

The Lagos State Govern
ment has disclosed that  59 people in the state came in contact with the 40-year-old Liberian who died of Ebola virus in Lagos.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made this known in   Ikeja, explained that the number consisted of 44 health care workers   and 15 others at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The commissioner said the government had not been able to establish the number of contacts the Liberian had on the plane that flew him into Nigeria because the management of Asky Airline   had not provided it with the manifest, adding that out of the 55 known contacts, 20 had been screened and released.
Idris said, “So far,   59 contacts have been registered, consisting 44 hospital contacts (38 health care workers and six laboratory staff) and 15 airport contacts. The 15 airport contacts comprise three ECOWAS staff-driver, Liaison, and Protocol Officer, Nigerian Ambassador to Monrovia, two nursing staff and five airport passenger handlers.
“As of the time of this report, 20 contacts had been physically screened of which 50 per cent had type one contact and 50 per cent had had type two contact. “Airline manifest has not been provided by the airline and therefore the precise number of passenger contacts his yet to be ascertained, especially as two flights were involved (Monrovia-Lome and Lome-Lagos). There was no report of medical incident and the General Declaration report of the flight.”
The commissioner, who advised Nigerians not to panic, said nobody in the country had been infected with the virus noting that the state and the federal governments were working to ensure that the virus did not infect anybody in the country.
He stated that the state government was working with   national and international bodies to be on top of the situation and prevent any unpleasant development.
The commissioner, who said that the government was decontaminating the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende where   the Liberian was taken to during his illness, adding that his   body   was decontaminated and cremated.