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Lagos Issues Alert On Ebola, Givesprecautionary Tips
A file photo taken on June 25, 2014 shows the
isolation ward at the Donka Hospital in Conakry where
people infected with the Ebola virus are being treated.
A
regional centre is being set up in Guinea to coordinate
the response to the worst-ever outbreak of Ebola that has killed hundreds of people in West Africa, the World
Health Organisation said on July 11, 2014. The
haemorrhagic fever sweeping through Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone has left an estimated 539 people
dead,
according to the latest WHO figures. Worried by the increasing cases of deaths from
the outbreak of Ebola virus in some neighbouring West
African countries, the Lagos state government,
yesterday gave some precautionary measures to
prevent the outbreak of the deadly virus in the state.
Ebola virus is currently ravaging many communities in some West African countries like Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone among others.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, in a statement,
said the measures became necessary with a view to
preventing the outbreak of the disease in the State,
listing the measures include; washing of hands often with soap and water, avoiding close contact with
people
who are sick and ensuring that objects used by the sick
are decontaminated and properly disposed.
He advised health workers to be at alert and ensure
they always wore personal protective equipment as well
as observed universal basic precautions when attending
to suspected or confirmed cases, and report same to
their Local Government Area or Ministry of Health
immediately.
Idris explained that “Ebola virus ds caused by the Ebola virus and outbreaks occur primarily in villages of the
Central and West Africa. The virus can be spread
through, close contact with the blood, body fluids,
organ
and tissues of infected animals; direct contact with
blood, organ or body secretions of an infected person. The transmission of the virus by other animals like
monkey and chimpanzee cannot be ruled out.”
The Commissioner noted that those at the highest risk
of the disease included health workers; and families or
friends of an infected who could be infected in the
course of feeding, holding and caring for them. He stressed that “Early symptoms of disease include
fever, headache, chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sore
throat, backache, and joint pains. Later symptoms
include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding
from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of
the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain
blood. It could progress to coma, shock and death.”
Idris noted that presently, there was no specific
treatment for Ebola disease, stressing that infected
persons would need to be admitted into the hospital
for specialised care and treated in isolation. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/lagos-issues-
alert-ebola-gives-precautionary-tips/