By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna, Emma Una & Gabriel Olawale

Following the death of a patient suspected to have died of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, at the Accident and Emergency ward of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, the Federal Government has dispatched a team of Ebola experts from the Ministry of Health, led by an epidemiologist, Professor Adebola Olayinka, to investigate the scare, even as 10 persons have been quarantined.

Medical doctors attending to an Ebola virus disease victim

It could be recalled that a purported Ebola scare arose spontaneously, Tuesday, leading to closure of the health institution after the death of a patient that exhibited haemorrhagic-like symptoms.

Confirming the situation to Vanguard on telephone, the Director General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, Professor Abdulsalam Nasidi, who spoke on behalf of the government, dismissed it as an ordinary scare with no confirmation.

According to him, the patient presented symptoms of haemorrhagic fever, yet to be confirmed to be Ebola.

Nasidi said the team, led by Olayinka, had begun decontamination of the place and taken samples for further medical investigations.

He said: “We do not know who is spreading the news that it is Ebola. The patient only presented symptoms of haemorrhagic fever, which cannot be concluded to be Ebola yet.

“Our team is on ground and decontamination of the place has started. The tests are still on and nothing has been confirmed. By tomorrow (today) the Director of Emergency Response Team and some others will be joining them to assist the hospital and the team on ground. There is no need to start panicking for now.”

No Ebola in Cross

River— MINISTRY

Dr. Sunday Omini, Director Public Health in the Cross River State Ministry of Health, said there was neither Ebola scare at UCTH nor in any part of the state and that the state government was monitoring the situation closely.

He said: “We are aware of what is going on at the UCTH and are closely monitoring the situation to ensure it does not escalate, but what we have is certainly not Ebola.”

He said blood samples of the patient have been sent for analysis and when the result comes out, it would be made known to the public to douse any tension of there being  Ebola in the state.

In quarantine

Meanwhile, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of UCTH, Dr. Queeneth Kalu, has disclosed that no fewer than 10 persons had been quarantined in Calabar, following the death of the patient.

Kalu told newsmen in Calabar that blood samples had been sent to the Ebola Diagnostic Centre in Benin, Edo State.

According to her, “on Wednesday, October 7, we managed a patient who presented with symptoms mimicking viral haemorrhage (Ebola Virus Disease) and we have decided to take the necessary measures.”

Kalu stated that those quarantined were principally nurses who attended to the patient and those who came in contact with him before his death.

She said: “We have also informed the relevant agencies, including National Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Cross River State Government, Calabar Municipality, and the Department of State Services, DSS.”

Kalu assured that further information would be provided to the public as soon as the test results of blood samples sent for analysis was received.

We‘re on it—Ebola Alert

Dr. Lawal Bakare, an official of Ebola Alert, the appointed Ebola notification body for Nigeria, also confirmed that the incident was being investigated.

He said: “We are following up closely on the report from Calabar. Samples have been collected and are currently being tested.

“There is a scare as it is. The chance of it being Ebola is almost zero. But that will not stop us from following up appropriately. So we are aware samples have been collected and results will be out tomorrow (today).

“We will be able to speak clearly on what it is. It has haemorrhagic symptom, which is not peculiar to Ebola.”

Bakare urged the public to follow updates on their Twitter handle @EbolaAlert.