Ebola Disease Outbreak in Nigeria

Press Briefing by the Delta State Inter-Ministerial Ebola Virus Outbreak Preparedness and Response Committee at the Ministry of Information Conference Hall on the 7th of August, 2014.

 PROTOCOL:

 EBOLA DISEASE OUTBREAK IN NIGERIA

Delta State Government’s Response

 

Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of about 50-90 percent. The illness affects humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in a village near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo from where the name was derived, and the other in a remote area of Sudan.

The first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa was reported in Guinea on the 21^st of March 2014. By June 17^th 2014, a total of 398 cases and 264 deaths have been reported in Guinea, 97 cases and 49 deaths in Sierra Leone, and 33 cases and 24 deaths in Liberia. On the 24^th of July 2014, the first case of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria was reported in Lagos, and died some days later.

As at 6th August 2014, a total of 1,203 cases and 932 deaths have been reported from the above four West African countries. For Nigeria, with seven (7) cases and two (2) deaths, the total number of contacts so far identified is 70. The outbreak which is characterized by an intense community and hospital transmission, is now threatening to affect the entire Nigeria.

The origin of the virus is unknown but fruit bats are considered the likely host of the Ebola virus, based on available evidence. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals and humans. One can also be infected through the eating of improperly cooked infected animals. It is important to reduce contact with high-risk animals (i.e. fruit bats, monkeys or apes) including not picking up dead animals found lying in the forest or handling their raw meat.

During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are:

• health workers;
• family members or others in close contact with infected people;
• mourners who have direct contact with the bodies of the deceased as part of burial ceremonies; and
• hunters in the rain forest who come into contact with dead animals found lying in the forest;
• those who have touched infected body fluids of Ebola victims;
• babies breastfed by infected mothers;
• those who have had contact with dead or sick animals; and
• those that travel to Ebola Virus Disease endemic areas;

  Signs and Symptoms

In the early stages, Ebola Virus Disease presents with non-specific symptoms such as sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.

Later symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. The incubation period varies between 2 and 21 days, with a case fatality rate of about 50-90 percent.

Case Management

Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. They are frequently dehydrated and need intravenous fluids or oral rehydration solutions that contain electrolytes. There is currently no specific treatment to cure the disease although some drugs are now being tried in the United States (ZMapp)

For further information, kindly note the following;

• The known reservoir for Ebola is the fruit bat.
• Transmission to humans is thought to originate from infected bats or animals like chimpanzees and monkeys that have become infected by bats.
• Undercooked infected fruit bats and bush meat transmits the virus to humans. Note that all meats must be handled with care and must be properly cooked.
• Human to human transmission is only achieved by physical contact with a person who is acutely and gravely ill from the Ebola virus or their body fluids.
• Transmission among humans is most likely among caregiver family members or health care workers tending to the very ill.
• A person can incubate the virus without symptoms

for 2-21 days, the average being 5-8 days before becoming ill. THEY ARE NOT CONTAGIOUS until they are acutely ill. Only when ill does the viral load express itself first in the blood and then in other bodily fluids (including vomitus, feaces, urine, breast milk, semen and sweat).

• Men who have recovered from the illness can still spread the virus to their partner through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery. For this reason, it is important for men to avoid sexual intercourse for at least 7 weeks after recovery.

Prevention

• Do not touch an infected person or their body fluids: sweat, blood, vomitus, urine, faeces or diarrhea.
• Strict adherence to hand washing with soap.
• Prompt reporting of all suspected cases to the designated hospitals or contact the following telephone numbers: 08037857479 08063927202, 07037120510 or 08037438829.
• Health workers should observe practical universal precautions and measures/standard barrier nursing techniques.
• Infected dead bodies carry the virus. Keep away from them.
• Avoid travelling to Ebola outbreak areas.

Delta State Government’s Response

In order to avoid the loss of lives and reduce the economic impact of a probable outbreak, coupled with the fact that Nigerians in general and Deltans in particular are widely travelled, the Delta State Government has put into operation the following activities/ interventions in the State.

i.	Conducted a stakeholders meeting chaired by His Excellency the Governor of Delta State
ii.	Set-Up an Inter-Ministerial Ebola Virus Outbreak Preparedness and Response Committee.
iii.	Set-Up a Technical Working Group to coordinate, plan, implement and monitor all activities related to Ebola Virus disease in the event of an outbreak.
iv.	The State Rapid Response Team has been enlarged and strengthened while the Local Government Rapid Response Teams are being reactivated.
v.	A meeting with other relevant stakeholders like Traditional Rulers, owners of private health institutions and other related groups has been fixed
vi.	State and Local Government’s Rapid Response Teams have been placed on red alert
vii.	Commenced Sensitization of the public on the awareness about Ebola disease through electronic and print media as well as the social media (internet)
viii.	Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have been earlier pre-positioned in the 25 Local Government headquarters in readiness for any possible outbreak.
ix.	Procurement of additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to augment the State stock
x.	The following hospitals have been designated as referral and Special Care Centres. The Hospitals are:

Warri Central Hospital

Ughelli Central Hospital

Sapele Central Hospital

Agbor Central Hospital

Oleh Central Hospital

Eku Baptist Government Hospital and

DELSUTH Oghara

xi.	Special isolation wards are being set up within the designated hospitals for suspected cases of Ebola virus disease.

Conclusion

Gentlemen of the press, there is no reported case of Ebola Virus Disease in Delta State yet. However, the Delta State Government is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that any suspected case is promptly contained.

Signed:
Dr. Joseph Otumara
Hon. Commissioner for Health.
Committee Chairman
7/8/2014

 

Delta State Government Press Release