Doctor's Death Sparks Fear, 70 Persons Quarantined in Port Harcourt for Ebola.

Doctor's Death Sparks Fear, 70 Persons Quarantined in Port Harcourt For Ebola.

Onyebuchi Chukwu

 The death of a doctor in Port Harcourt over Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was unknown to many has sparked fears across the country.

This came as 70 persons have already been quarantined in Port Harcourt,  Rivers State.
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu at a briefing in Abuja told journalists that the doctor  who  died in Port Harcourt had his blood sample tested positive after death. He also  said that 70  persons have been placed under surveillance in Port Harcourt.

The minister explained that the wife of the doctor has also been quarantined alongside others believed to have had contact with the doctor and patient who he attended to.

Speaking of the patient, Chukwu said,   "One of them is a primary contact of the index case (Mr. Patrick Sawyer). Even though presently he does not have EVD but further laboratory tests indicate that he had suffered EVD."

"This primary contact of Mr. Sawyer’s evaded our surveillance team in the last week of July 2014 and travelled out of Lagos to Port Harcourt where, as we now understand, he consulted with a doctor and was apparently treated for some symptoms. After four days, following a manhunt for him, he returned to Lagos by which time he was found to be without symptoms."

"This case would have been of no further interest since he had completed the 21 days of surveillance without any other issue, but for the fact that the doctor who treated him died last Friday, 22nd August, 2014."

The Minister   disclosed that the total number of  Ebola cases  so far reported  stands at 15, with  13 treated cases,

He said that number of those discharged is seven, while the number of deaths from those treated in Lagos  is five, while the total number of  those currently under treatment  is one. He added that the person currently being treated is stable and improving clinically.