BREAKING NEWS: DEADLY EBOLA VIRUS HITS NIGERIA

The federal Government has confirmed the death of one Liberian citizen, Mr. Patrick Sawyer who died of Ebola virus. The man was suspected to have imported the deadly Ebola virus into Lagos state.

Professor  Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigerian minister of Health, said the patient had thorough medical evaluation where the laboratory at the Lagos were also carried out and his blood sample taken to the advance laboratory at the Lagos Teaching Hospital, after much diagnosis it was confirmed of Ebola virus disease.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by ebola viruses. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. There is then nausea, vomiting and diarrhea along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point some people begin to have problems with bleeding.

The disease is first acquired by a population when a person comes into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal such as a monkey or fruit bat. Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the disease without being affected by it. Once infection occurs, the disease may be spread from one person to another. Men who survive may be able to transmit the disease sexually for nearly two months. To make the diagnosis, typically other diseases with similar symptoms such as malaria, cholera and other viral hemorrhagic fever are excluded. The blood may then be tested for either antibodies to the virus, the viral RNA, or the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis.

Prevention involves decreasing the spread of the disease,properly disposing of the bodies if the disease is discovered. Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may be helpful, wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around someone sick with the disease. Samples from people with the disease should be handled with an extra degree of caution.

There is no specific treatment for the virus with efforts to help people including giving the person either oral rehydration therapy or intravenous fluids.