The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has urged residents to remain vigilant and observe preventive measures following the reported confirmation of an imported case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Abuja.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abubakar, the centre said it had received information about the reported case, adding that the index patient was initially managed at a private health facility before being isolated.
The statement disclosed that 44 contacts linked to the case were being monitored.
“The index case was initially managed in a private facility before isolation,” the statement said, adding that the authorities were monitoring 44 contacts.
The KNCDC directed healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for possible Ebola infections, particularly among patients presenting with sudden fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, sore throat or unexplained bleeding.
“Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion and watch out for patients presenting with sudden fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, sore throat or unexplained bleeding,” the statement said.
The centre also stressed the need for strict compliance with infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities to minimise the risk of transmission.
“Maintain core infection prevention and control measures through good hand hygiene, adherence to the WHO five moments for hand hygiene, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, environmental sanitation, proper waste segregation and safe injection practices,” it advised.
The KNCDC explained that Ebola symptoms could appear between two and 21 days after infection, noting that transmission could occur through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person or animal.
“Ebola infection happens if the blood or bodily fluids of a sick person touch the eyes, nose, mouth or a wound on the skin,” the statement said.
The centre identified the major symptoms of Ebola as sudden high fever, extreme weakness, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding.
It urged residents to remain alert and healthcare professionals to promptly identify suspected cases and follow established infection prevention protocols.
The KNCDC further emphasised the importance of maintaining good hygiene, using appropriate protective equipment and reporting suspected infections to the relevant health authorities.
