The FCT Mandate Secretary, Health and Human Services, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, has dismissed reports of an Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory, noting that a patient X who had entered the country had been declared negative for Ebola and the Marburg virus.

The Mandate Secretary gave the update at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention earlier confirmed that two recent suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever in Abuja have tested negative for both Ebola Virus Disease and Marburg Virus.

The NCDC, in a public health advisory issued on Friday, signed by its Director General, Dr Jide Idris, noted that further tests were ongoing for other hemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa fever and dengue fever

In her address, Fasawe stated that the “efficient surveillance system” put in place by the Administration of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, made the feat possible.

“First, I would like to commend the Honourable Minister for the FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike. If not for an active surveillance team and the Emergency Operating Centre, which was just commissioned a few months after the beginning of this administration, we would not be here talking about this disease today.

“This meeting is a sort of verification. You have asked what is going on, is Ebola in the FCT? And on behalf of the Minister, I say today that Ebola is not in FCT. Confirmed, verified, and said with authority,” she said.

Fasawe explained that the Ebola disease was a highly consequential disease that killed infected patients within 48 hours. She narrated that patient X had arrived in the country on a flight from Rwanda, a neighbouring country to Congo, which had cases of Ebola outbreak.

She commended the patient for her health-seeking habit in checking herself into a hospital, while also commending the said hospital for handling the case according to protocols.

“Congo has Ebola. This patient was coming from Rwanda. So, from travel history, we had to activate our protocol for Ebola, which has come out negative. I also want to commend patient X for her health-seeking habits. She came in with a fever; she didn’t even go home, she went straight to a hospital.

“I want to commend the hospital, Nisa Premier, for having a high index of suspicion and following the specified protocol for infectious diseases, by calling us to take samples, the patient was isolated.

“We had a possible one case that we were determined would not spread further than that one case. We had gone as far as to get the manifest on that airline, everybody she had had contact with before coming into this place, and I’m happy to say, we are free, there is no Ebola. Patient is responding to treatment for her fever,” Fasawe said.

The Mandate Secretary urged residents of the FCT to develop higher health-seeking habits, noting that the FCT Minister had made huge investments in the health sector.

“I would like to talk to the public generally and give a direct message; not every fever is Malaria. Our health-seeking habits have to improve. If you have any sign of illness, especially with fever or bleeding from any orifice, it is a sign of potential danger.

“It is a very, very big emergency; you have to report to the nearest health centre, preferably a government health centre, but if there is none, go to a private hospital. They know what to do,” she stated (The PUNCH)