The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that there is no evidence of community transmission of Ebola saying the patient receiving treatment in Abuja is showing signs of improvement although her recovery is not yet guaranteed.
The government also said it had no immediate plans to restrict political campaigns conferences religious gatherings or other large public events as there was currently no evidence to warrant such measures.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate gave the assurance at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday saying the government had activated its emergency response system traced the patient’s contacts and introduced measures to limit the risk of further transmission.
The minister did not announce any new cases during the briefing.
‘We have to continue to pray and work hard to ensure that she survives it’ Pate said noting that laboratory results indicated significant improvement in the patient’s condition.
He explained that the patient was asymptomatic when she arrived in Nigeria but developed symptoms a few days later. Following confirmation of the infection health authorities began tracing people who had contact with her at the hospital the private clinic she visited and among her domestic contacts.
Pate said contacts had been categorised according to their level of exposure with high-risk individuals placed in quarantine and others isolated in line with public health guidelines.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is coordinating the operational response in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare the Federal Capital Territory Administration and state governments.
According to Pate the case was diagnosed confirmed and reported to the World Health Organisation within 24 hours of public health authorities being notified.
The government had also briefed the Presidential Task Force the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the National Economic Council while releasing additional resources to support the response.
‘All our state governments have been informed. Most of the states have already response plans which were developed with the guidance of the NCDC’ he said adding that states yet to complete their plans had been directed to do so urgently.
The government is also strengthening laboratory capacity to sequence the virus and establish more information about it with support from genomics expert Prof. Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University and international health partners.
Pate said health facilities had been directed to prepare isolation beds and reinforce infection prevention measures particularly to protect frontline health workers. He also urged private healthcare providers to report suspected cases promptly noting that the patient had visited a private facility.
On whether the outbreak would prompt restrictions on public gatherings including political campaigns and major events the minister said the government had no immediate plans to impose such measures because there was currently no evidence to warrant them.
‘At this moment there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned’ he said adding that the government would review its position and consult experts if the situation changed.
He stressed that Ebola was not an airborne disease but was transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids.
Pate urged Nigerians to practise regular handwashing avoid unnecessary contact with other people’s bodily fluids and report suspected symptoms promptly. People experiencing fever headaches or muscle aches particularly those with relevant travel histories were advised to isolate themselves and notify public health authorities.
He also appealed to Nigerians to comply with contact-tracing and isolation directives warning that disregarding public health measures could expose others to infection.
Addressing public distrust and misinformation the minister said the diagnosis had been confirmed through three positive tests and urged Nigerians to rely on credible health professionals and official information.
‘The alternative to trusting the experts is tragedy. It’s really tragedy’ he said.
Pate cautioned against politicising the outbreak stressing that public health concerns transcended political ethnic and religious differences.
He said Nigeria had prepared for the possibility of an imported case during the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was intensifying surveillance at points of entry including strengthening port health measures.
Expressing confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to manage the situation the minister cited the country’s previous experience in containing Ebola and pledged to keep the public informed as investigations and contact tracing progressed.
‘There is no need for any panic but we have to be vigilant’ he said.