Nigeria contains Ebola, as two more patients leave hospital

Health authorities are confident Nigeria has ably contained Ebola virus disease, 38 days since it was imported into the country by Liberian American Patrick Sawyer. It came as two of the last patients on treatment for Ebola at a designated isolation centre in Lagos left hospital. “Two of treated patients, a male doctor and a […]

Health authorities are confident Nigeria has ably contained Ebola virus disease, 38 days since it was imported into the country by Liberian American Patrick Sawyer.

It came as two of the last patients on treatment for Ebola at a designated isolation centre in Lagos left hospital.

“Two of treated patients, a male doctor and a female nurse were discharged yesterday evening, 25th August, 2014 having satisfied the criteria for discharge,” said health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu at an Ebola briefing Tuesday.

They bring to a total seven the number of Nigerians who have survived the virus.

“So far, all the reported cases of the EVD in Nigeria have their root in the index case, the late Mr. Patrick Sawyer,” said Chukwu.

“This is an indication that, thus far, Nigeria has contained the disease outbreak.”

Thirteen people were infected in the aftermath of Sawyer. Most were health workers who attended him in hospital.

One was a patient on admission in the same hospital as the same as Sawyer before his death. All have been designated primary cases.

Only one secondary case of Ebola virus disease is on record—a spouse of one of the health workers who treated Sawyer in hospital.

“She is stable but still on treatment at the Isolation ward in Lagos,” said Chukwu.

“I wish to reassure Nigerians and indeed the global community that the Government shall remain vigilant and will not relent as Government continues to work with her partners to ensure that the disease is kept out of the country.”