Nigeria Free Of Ebola, Final Surveillance Contacts Released

The Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu, MD reports that Nigeria is completely free of active Ebola cases and have today released the final victim contacts from surveillance. The Minister said, “Presently, there is no single case of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria – none.”

“No cases are under treatment, no suspected cases. There are no contacts in Lagos that are still under surveillance, having completed a minimum of 21 days of observation.”

In the process of tracing contacts of individuals infected with Ebola, anyone showing no symptoms after three weeks of last known contact with a victim is considered free of any potential for the disease.

Rivers State, whose capital city is Port Harcourt, had been home to over 400 contacts under medical surveillance. As of last night, only 25 contacts remained.

“None of them are showing any symptoms. Monday 22 Sept marked the end of their 21 days of observation

“Nigeria is as clean as any other country as far as Ebola virus disease is concerned.” He stated

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Read the Press Release below:

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For one week now, there has not been a single case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria. The total number of confirmed EVD cases recorded in Nigeria remains 19, with 7 deaths. The South African woman who was taken from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and quarantined on suspicion of EVD tested negative for EVD and other viral haemorrhagic fevers and has since been discharged from quarantine and has left the country. Also, a suspected case reported by NLNG tested negative for EVD.

A number of contacts are still under surveillance in Nigeria, 4 in Lagos State and 344 in Rivers State. So far, 347 contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Lagos State while 182 contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Rivers State.

Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the release of N200 million to the Rivers State Government as direct financial support to the state towards the containment of EVD outbreak.

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Dan Nwomeh
Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister of Health

Source: health.gov.ng

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