News Ebola virus: Experts urge FG to take precaution against spread#WilkeyPerkins Blog

Following reports that a Liberian has died of Ebola virus in Lagos last week, the Federal Government has been urged to ensure that effective emergency response mechanism is put in place to prevent the possible outbreak of the virus in all parts of the country.

This call was made by Gloria Archibong, chairperson of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Cross River State branch, who stated this at a one-day workshop for medical laboratory scientists in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

She  said it has become imperative for the Nigerian public to be properly educated as the threat is on the increase daily while urging the Federal Government to make sure mechanisms are initiated immediately to avoid any possible outbreak of the virus nationwide.

“If it has come as close as Ghana and there has been reports of another Liberian who flew into the country, then it is only wise for us to put effective emergency response mechanisms in place and also enlighten the people on its prevention because the virus has no cure for now,” she said.

Speaking further, Archibong stated: “I also want to believe that the virus is not here. But the reason why Cross River may be at risk is because we actually have bat-eating communities and we are a bush meat-eating people too; fruit bats and monkeys are the major reservoirs of the virus. There is need to sensitise our people.”

Michael Useh, a  consultant medical microbiologist at the University of Calabar, who spoke with this reporter,  said it was high time Nigerians took the reality of the virus serious because it is possible for the virus to come into the country due to the nature of the outbreak which was discovered in 1976 and has since been occurring and reoccurring. “It is important we put measures in place,” Useh counselled.

According to him, “If it can come as close as Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana then we must be prepared. We must rigorously enlighten Nigerians because the mortality rate of the virus is about 90 percent and it has no known cure for now. For the simple fact that some species of bats are responsible even though we have not carried out epidemiology tests, we have high rain forest zones and when this virus was first discovered it was carried by bats in a rain forest zone.

“We must establish centres where the virus can at least be diagnosed; we must educate Nigerians on the symptoms due to our porous borders most especially now that a carrier of the virus was contained in Lagos,”