A Liberian man has been tested for the deadly Ebola virus in Lagos.
According to the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Liberian man, who is said to be in his 40s, was tested to be carrying the virus on Thursday, 24 July, 2014.
The Lagos State Government, in a statement, stated that the Liberian, who is now a suspect, and a possible 30 others may have had contact.
Officials of the government also informed that the man is in a private hospital in the Obalende area of the State.
It was gathered that the hospital housing the Liberian has been cordoned off and the victim isolated.
The State government had earlier in July laid out some precautionary measures to stop the outbreak of the disease, which has ravaged neighbouring West African countries, in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said in a statement that the measures became necessary with a view to preventing the outbreak of the disease in the State
He listed measures that will help in stopping the outbreak to include: washing of hands often with soap and water, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and ensuring that objects used by the sick are decontaminated and properly disposed.
He advised health workers to be at alert and ensure they always wear personal protective equipment, as well as observe universal basic precautions when attending to suspected or confirmed cases, and report same to their Local Government Area or Ministry of Health immediately.
* Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris
According to Reuters, Ebola has killed 632 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since an outbreak began in February 2014, straining a string of weak health systems despite international help.
This might become the first recorded case of one of the world’s deadliest diseases in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous nation, with over 170 million people, but at the same time, one of Africa’s least adequate health infrastructure.
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