>By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
Ilorin
A professor of Epidaemiology and Community Health Science, University of Ilorin, Tanimola Akande, has declared that Ebola virus, currently ravaging some West African countries, “is the most difficult health burden confronting the continent today.”
Akande, who is the National President, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, said “according to reports, 580 deaths have been recorded out of the 630 cases so far diagnosed in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra- Leone and Ghana.”
He made the declaration yesterday in Ilorin during a lecture he delivered at an awareness campaign on Ebola virus sponsored by chairman, LUBCON Group of companies, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, held at the company’s headquarters.
Ebola, he said, thrives in its natural host of ‘fruit birth’ and is deadlier than HIV/AIDS, warning that “people can easily contract the virus through any contact with infected person.”
“Ebola is a very, very deadly disease; we have been talking about HIV/AIDs but Ebola is more deadly than HIV/AIDS. It’s an African Problem. Mostly in Central Africa Republic,” he said.
The medical expert said “any contact with an infected person is almost a death sentence because the virus has no vaccines, no drugs, we only give palliative management.”
He said the virus unlike in animals, presents common malaria symptoms like fever, headache, general body pain, blood stained semen and bleeding from within and outside of an infected person.”
As a way to prevent the out brake of the disease in Nigeria, he urged people to be weary of consumption of bush meat, wash their hands and fruits regularly while health workers should also start wearing protective kits while attending to patients.
Akande’s submissions were corroborated by a one-time Clinical Virologist at Texas Surveillance Unit, United States of America, Dr. Olajide Agbede, who also delivered a lecture on Ebola virus.
The virologist recommended that persons, animal products, fertilisers and animal dung from countries where cases of Ebola had been recorded should be screened at the point of entry into Nigeria.
He also suggested that trained personnel who could easily spot Ebola virus symptoms and vectors should be deployed to all International airports in Nigeria.
Managing Director, LBBCON, Mr. Taiye Williams, said though the company was into oil and gas, it did organise the programme as part of its corporate social responsibility to ensure well-being of Nigerians.
