ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC MEDICAL PRACTITIONERSS OF NIGERIA EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION 1. Ebola virus infection is one of the most deadly viral fevers first discovered in 1976, Untll this year, it was confined to the Central African region. 2. This year, epidemics of Ebola started to occur in the West African countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. 3. The virus was imported into Nigeria by a visitor from Liberia in late July 2014. The patient has since died, but all those who had contact with him have been traced and are either under treatment, quarantine or close observation so as to prevent the virus from spreading into the wider Nigrtian community. 4. The primary hosts of the virus and from where it gets into human are bats, monkeys, bush-meat/grass-cutters, etc. 5. Man-to-man infection, so far, has been limited to close (family and health care facility workers) contact with sick patients of the disease; through BODY FLUIDS CONTAMINATION, such as blood, saliva, stool, etc. 6. Symptoms of the disease are fever, sore throat and body pains – just like malaria, typhoid fever, etc. 7. Bleeding from body openings and other symptoms of organ damage are usually signs of severe and late stages of the infection. So people should not be looking or waiting for such bleeding before raising alarm or seeking care. 8. SO FOR NOW, the most important information for everybody is that we all should increase our levels of personal hygiene – regular hand washing and especially after touching things outside of our body, reduce hand shaking and other bodily contacts in very civilised and not obnoxious or fear-based manners, avoidance of the eating of bush meat, proper cooking of all meat and all other aspects of basic food hygiene. 9. Anybody visiting from any of the endemic West African countries should ESPECIALLY BE NOTED and if they develop symptoms suggestive of Ebola, they should be advised to visit a GOVERNMENT HEALTH FACILITY. In addition, as far as possible, the public health authorities, Medical Officers of Health in the LGAs and Chief Epidemiologists in the states, should be informed about such visitors. 10. The international and Port Health Authorities in Nigeria should surely beef up their international health surveillance at the ports and boarders and every dead body being brought home from those countries should be investigated and taken care of accordingly. Such dead returnees known to anybody should also be brought to the attention of the health authorities, just in case it escaped their capture by the surveillance personnel. 11. All health workers and specifically, every Catholic health worker should observe and insist on the application of “Universal Precaution” principle. Treat all patients with the greatest sense of care and caution –for personal safety! 12. Catholic health facilities must take note of RECENT TRAVELS OR RESIDENCES OF EVERY PATIENT THAT PRESENTS WITH FEVER AND IF SUCH PLACES INCLUDE ANY OF THE WEST AFRICAN EPIDEMIC COUNTRIES, EXERCISE FULL PRECAUTIONS IN THEIR CARE, INCLUDING QUICK REFERRALS FOR EBOLA VIRUS INVESTIGATION! 13. Priests who are called for the anointing of the sick or burial of people suspected of having had or died of Ebola fever, including anybody that has recently travelled to or lived in any of the endemic countries, SHOULD ALSO DO SAME – WITH PERSONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AS FACE MASK AND GLOVES AND HAVE THOROUGH HAND WASHING OR BODY BATH THERAFTER. 14. Everybody should be involved with reducing rumours such as the false notion that the disease is spread by air or other material contacts of normal and healthy/non-febrile people, by mosquito bites, sharing dry toilet seats. etc. 15. Finally, all must pray that our national health systems, services and personnel will respond well to the national health needs. Further up-date information may be availed from ebolaalert.org established by the Lagos State Government. 9th August 2014 Prepared For The Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria by Prof. MC Asuzu. (Clinical Epidemiologist) *Professor of Public Health & Community Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan. Nigeria.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 20:44:16 +0000