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There is no Ebola virus in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said.
The government also described as false the message circulating in social media purporting a positive case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.
Debunking the rumour, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Abdullaziz Mashi Abdullahi, urged the public to disregard the rumour and discourage the circulation of any unverified information.
He said this could cause harm to innocent people and unnecessary panic among the citizens.
Abdullahi assured Nigerians that since the reports of the outbreak of EVD in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), heightened surveillance had been ongoing at the various points of entry by officials of the Port Health Services division of the ministry to prevent its entry into Nigeria.
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The government official said every sick passenger had been properly screened and “I can say categorically that none of the patients screened has tested positive for Ebola or any other deadly disease”.
The permanent secretary noted that in line with WHO’s guidelines, a recent preliminary risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), indicated that the overall risk of carrying EVD to Nigeria from DRC and Uganda was low.
“But we are not resting on our oars in view of trading activities of Nigerians,” Abdullahi said.
He assured Nigerians that the Federal Government remained fully committed, while working closely with the WHO, state ministries of Health, partners and other stakeholders, to protect the health of all citizens.
“However, necessary protocols are being followed in line with international Health Regulations,” he said.