The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has activated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) following the Federal Government’s announcement of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The centre’s Director-General, Prof. Muhammad Adamu-Abbas, disclosed this in a public advisory issued in Kano on Tuesday, assuring residents that the agency was prepared and on high alert.
“The Federal Government confirmed one case of imported Ebola in Abuja. The patient is already isolated and receiving care. Forty-four people who had close contact with the patient have been found and are being monitored every day,” he said.
Adamu-Abbas added that Kano’s emergency operations centre was on high alert, urging residents to remain calm while observing necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.
He advised residents against self-medication and urged anyone experiencing symptoms of Ebola to avoid public transportation to minimise the risk of exposing others. He also stressed the need for the immediate isolation of suspected cases.
According to him, symptoms of Ebola include sudden high fever, extreme weakness, severe headache, body and joint pains, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding.
The KNCDC chief explained that Ebola could spread through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person, contaminated clothing, bedding and other surfaces.
For prevention, he advised residents to wash their hands regularly with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, avoid contact with sick people and their belongings, and refrain from touching dead bodies.
He also cautioned against eating bushmeat, urging residents to buy meat from hygienic markets and ensure it was thoroughly cooked. He further recommended disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, phones and tables.
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Adamu-Abbas urged anyone experiencing fever and other warning signs, particularly those who had travelled or come into contact with a sick person, to seek immediate medical assistance rather than visit a chemist or remain at home.
Residents were advised to contact the KNCDC on 07077974504 or via email at kanocdc@gmail.com. They could also reach the centre through its social media platforms or contact their Local Government Area Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO), or report to a health facility.
Meanwhile, the director-general urged public, private, faith-based and military health facilities across the state to remain vigilant and strictly comply with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols.
He warned against any compromise in enforcing the guidelines, stressing that strict compliance was necessary to protect patients and healthcare workers.
