The Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has announced that a total number of 271 contacts are now under surveillance in Lagos and Rivers State.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, the minister said 72 are under surveillance in Lagos while 199 are in Rivers.
He also said that no contact is presently under surveillance in Enugu State, as all the six identified contacts have completed the 21 days observation period and have since been discharged.
Prof Chukwu, said as at August 31, 2014, a total of 278 contacts in Lagos had completed the 21 days surveillance period and have been discharged.
“No contacts in Port Harcourt has completed the 21 day observation period. It is expected that a few more contacts will develop the EVD especially in Rivers State before Nigeria will see the last case of EVD,” the Minister said.
Speaking further, the Minister said two other contacts of the late Port Harcourt doctor (one of the doctors who managed him and a pharmacy technician working in the Doctor’s hospital) are symptomatic and have been admitted in the isolation ward in Rivers.
He said they have however tested negative to the EVD, saying the Laboratory tests will be repeated to confirm their status.
Prof Chukwu also clarified that the three confirmed cases in Port Harcourt are not treated in Lagos.
According to him, the three treated in Port Harcourt are:
– The ECOWAS staff (primary contact) who was under surveillance but sneaked to Port Harcourt.
– The Port Harcourt Doctor who died after treating ECOWAS staff.
– A female patient who was on admission in the same hospital where the late Port Harcourt Doctor was almost admitted. She is presently under treatment in the Isolation ward in Rivers State.