Nigeria issues red alert on Ebola death
Iran Press TV
Sat Jul 26, 2014 2:34PM GMT
Nigeria has placed the country on red alert after confirming the death of a Liberian man who was carrying the Ebola virus.
The man reportedly died following his arrival at Lagos airport on Tuesday, in the first Ebola case in Africa's most populous country.
This is while the country's Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu says the surveillance has been escalated at all 'airports, seaports and land borders.'
Since February, more than 660 people have died from Ebola infections in West Africa, reportedly the world's deadliest outbreak to date.
The outbreak initially began in southern Guinea and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The Liberian man collapsed on arrival in Lagos last Sunday. He was then transported to a hospital, where he was put in quarantine.
The 40-year-old victim was identified by authorities as an employee of the Liberian government.
Chukwu further confirmed that the other passengers on board the flight had been traced and were being monitored.
Meanwhile, health experts have been dispatched to all entry points into the country, he added.
The virus, which kills up to 90 percent of those infected, spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.
Those infected have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment.
The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that 219 people had died of Ebola in Sierra Leone.
MFB/AB
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