NCDC confirms ebola outbreak, outlines measures against disease

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued a public health advisory following confirmation of a fresh Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The DRC’s Ministry of Health, had on September 4, confirmed suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, were recorded in Kasai Province.

The outbreak was said to have mainly affected the Bulape and Mweka health zones, with patients presenting symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and haemorrhage.

Indeed, laboratory tests conducted at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa confirmed the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus as the cause. The case fatality rate is currently estimated at 57 per cent.

However, the NCDC assured Nigerians that no case of Ebola had yet been detected in the country.

According to NCDC, it working in collaboration with relevant ministries, departments, agencies and partners to heighten surveillance at points of entry and strengthen infection prevention and control measures in health facilities nationwide.

Also, the NCDC’s Public Health Advisory highlighted that risk communication and community engagement structures had also been activated to counter rumours, misinformation, and public anxiety.

Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness with a fatality rate ranging between 25 and 90 per cent.

The virus has five known species; Bundibugyo, Reston, Tai Forest, Sudan, and Zaire, the last of which is responsible for the current outbreak in the DRC.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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