Federal Govt warns Nigerians to be vigilant as Ebola re-emerges in Liberia

The Federal Government had advised Nigerians to be vigilant and embrace basic hygiene as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) re-emerges in Liberia.

This is contained in a statement signed by Ayotunde Adesugba, Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja on Thursday.

The statement urged Nigerians not to panic on the development in Liberia, as the ministry was reactivating its response mechanism and increasing the level of its alert.

"All state ministries of health and health facilities are hereby advised to raise their alert level and report any suspected case to the Federal Ministry of Health," it stated.

According to the statement, a new case of the EVD has been reported in Liberia.

"A 17-year-old from a village near the Liberian capital died of Ebola. He had no history of travelling out of Liberia and no history of coming into contact with any known Ebola case.

"The boy has since been buried but Liberian health officials are worried that he may have transmitted the virus to many other people who came into contact with him.

"This means that the country, which was certified EVD free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 9, 2015, has witnessed a resurgence of the disease.

"The resurgence of EVD in Liberia confirms that the Ebola virus is still circulating in that country and transmission from person-to person is possible," the statement said.

Credit: Nigerian Tribune