The Director of Primary
Healthcare in the Anambra Ministry of Health, Dr Chukwudi Okoye, has called on
the people to be conscious of the outbreak of ebola disease in some African
countries.
Okoye said that the
state and Nigeria were so far safe from the disease but needed to be watchful.
He noted that the state
government was sensitive to the disease because Onitsha Main Market attracted
businessmen and women from all parts of the continent.
The director said that
Onitsha, the largest market in sub-Sahara region, attracted loads of
foreigners. He explained that over 4000 vehicles conveyed goods and passengers
from within and outside the country to Onitsha daily for businesses.
For this reason, it had
become imperative to sensitise the people on the disease which has no cure,
urging them to be careful about their eating habits.
Okoye listed the
symptoms of the disease to include headache, fever, intense weakness, sore
throat and rashes.
He said they also
included vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain, conjunctivitis, internal and
external bleeding, diarrhoea, bleeding gums, bleeding into the skin, and blood
in urine, among others.
He said the viral
hemorrhagic disease was transmitted from monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees and
also could be contracted through body fluids such as blood and secretions.
According to him, most
ebola infections had occurred in hospital with poor practice of basic hygiene
and sanitation.
He, however, said that
the disease could be prevented by maintaining proper hand washing habit and
proper disposal of wastes.
He noted that the virus
could also be prevented by reducing the number of invasive procedures, adding
that clinicians should wear personal protective clothing at work.
He said that dead
bodies of victims were still infectious and so must be safely and immediately
disposed off, adding that people should avoid eating bats and other bush meats.
Source: Posted by
pmnews on April 11, 2014, 4:35 am.
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