Female Doctor Confirmed To Have Ebola Disease

A Nigerian medical doctor, who was among the people that had the first contact with Mr. Patrick Sawyer (the deceased Liberian) has been confirmed to have the first case of Ebola Virus Disease, and first confirmed Ebola victim in the country.

Late Sawyer, a consultant to the Liberian Finance Ministry was found to be infected with the virus when he arrived Lagos on July 20, 2014. He died in quarantine on July 25 and his body was later cremated.

Disclosing the development to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said the new case was as a result of contact the said doctor had with Sawyer at the Lagos hospital, where the Liberian was admitted after he was brought in from the airport.

Also speaking, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, accompanied by the Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, confirmed that it would be the second reported case of the virus in Nigeria in general and Lagos in particular.

Chukwu, who was inaugurating the Treatment Research Group Committee on Ebola Virus Disease, disclosed: “When we met last week, I told you that we were still monitoring some of the healthcare workers and passengers who came in contact with the American-Liberian who brought in Ebola to Nigeria. There were others who attended to him; some have developed symptoms of Ebola.

 As of today, we now have a case; this is the second case of Ebola virus in Nigeria. This is the doctor who attended to the Ebola patient in the Lagos hospital.”