“It Was A Scare”- Nigerian Government Denies Reports Of Ebola Outbreak In Calabar

The Federal Government has cleared the air on the alleged outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Calabar, Cross River State.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, who made the clarification at a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, said the EVD scare in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital resulted from the death of a patient, who was said to have manifested the symptoms of the killer disease.

He said, “It has been investigated clinically, also using laboratory tests. The young man was down with symptoms that are similar with that of Ebola. His temperature was 37 degrees. But he had not traveled outside Calabar. His family has a case of chicken pox.

“Our experiences in Ebola containment were used. The blood samples that were collected before his death were taken to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State and necessary tests were conducted to ascertain if he had Lasser Fever or Ebola. As we speak, it has nothing to do with Lasser Fever and Ebola as results confirmed that it was negative. But the results of what actually killed him would be ready on Monday.”