Govt Tasks Health Council Over Ebola

Abia  State Government
through the Ministry of Health has urged the State Council on Health not to rest on its oars though there is still no case of Ebola Virus Disease, especially as the Christmas and New Year festive period approaches.
The  state Health Commissioner, Dr.Okechukwu Ogah, a medical doctor had while addressing members of the state council on health and LGA Coordinators in Umuahia, charged them to be up and doing this period that there are normally mass movement of people into and outside the state.
He said, “We must be extra vigilant to be able to identify people suspected to be showing symptoms of Ebola virus so that immediate action will be taken to ascertain their status. We must note that an outbreak of Ebola in any party of world could spread to Nigeria and thus to Abia State because one would not know the destination of the carrier or those that came in contact with him/ her in this annual festive period.”
In his remarks, the state Epidemiologist and Chairman of the Council, Dr.Onyechere Nwokocha, who stated that the survival rate for Ebola per 100 infected is 50 per cent, added that every care ought to be taken to prevent it especially as there is no treatment yet for it.
Also Mr. Peter Ezeugwu of the World Health Organization (WHO), who spoke on surveillance, said that outbreak occurs when the number if the infected increases from what it was in an area or community.
According to Ezeugwu, when it occurs, it becomes imperative for an investigation to be carried out to trace the cause of the outbreak.