Ebola: Nigeria shifts focus to ‘third party contact’

With only one known case of Ebola virus disease left in the country, focus is now shifting to a possible third party contact with the affected persons.

Of the 13 recorded cases ─ including the index case ─ seven have been treated and discharged but five deaths were recorded, leaving only one Ebola patient, officially.

The four Nigerians who died all had primary contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought the disease to Nigeria.

No secondary contact has died so far, while there is now a possibility of third party contacts which government is shifting attention to.

Health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu told the media on Wednesday that Nigeria has done well in managing the disease and preventing its spread, but there was still more work to be done.

He said recording five deaths in 13 cases for a disease that has 90% mortality rate should be seen as a positive development.

“I don’t want us to move from panic to euphoria which may be a problem. Nigeria is doing well on containment, all the infections in Nigeria were all traced to Patrick Sawyer. We have not eliminated the disease because we still have a case we are managing which may have had a third party contact. As long as there is a case of Ebola disease, Nigeria is still at risk. So we have done well on containment but the problem is not over,” he said.

Chukwu also said it is not true that the sister of Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh has been infected with Ebola.

Adadevoh was the doctor who attended to Sawyer and prevented him from leaving the hospital but she herself was infected and died last week.

The minister said Adadevov’s sister was under observation but has tested negative.

Although government advised against large gatherings, he said Nigeria was no ban because “there is no need to panic”.

The greatest killer today in Nigeria, he said, is not Ebola.

“You will agree with me that 29 days after the first index case was recorded, there has been more deaths from accidents, malaria and what have you. That is why we appeal to the media which has done very well up till now that it is important not to misinform the public that we are no longer at risk. As far as there is still one case we are still at risk,” he said.

He also spoke on the sack of resident doctors, saying: “Residency programme was suspended by federal government, meaning the doctors have been disengaged. It is true that over the weekend we read in the papers that the Nigerian Medical Association has called off the strike.

“But we are yet to see any letter communicating that to us. We will move forward when we get a letter from NMA suspending the strike, then the minister of health will advise Mr. President, so for now residency programme remains suspended.”