A 19- year old student of Law at the Ahmadu Bello University is suspected to be down with the deadly Ebola virus in Kaduna.
The Public Relations Officer, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, ABUTH, Bilyaminu Umar, while confirming the case on Monday when contacted via phone said the student was diagnosed at ABUTH, Shika, Zaria,and that he showed some symptoms associated with the disease.“Yes, there was a case of a suspected Ebola patient. He is with the Faculty ofLaw, ABU, Zaria and will be placed on isolation. I am out of town, but will confirm details on my return from a trip,” he said.
SEE ALSO!!! ; Lovely marriage proposal inside shoprite
However, other credible sources from the hospital told The Nation that, officials of the World Health Organisation (WHO) had taken the patient’s sample to Lagos for testand result is expected in 24 hours.
According to a senior staff in the hospital who doesn’t want his name in the print, “yes, there is a patient in the hospital with symptoms similar to Ebola, but we are not sure yet. But, our fear is that, the patient just came back Guinea, so it is a possibility that, it is Ebola Virus.“The symptoms the boy is showing is not only peculiar to Ebola, it could be Lassar Fever, but the fact that Ebola is the epidemic around now and that the student just came back from Guinea is what worries people. In fact, a colleague just entered now and he was washing his hands, so when we asked him what happened, he said, they just took blood sample of the patient.” He stated.
However, experts have said not all patients who manifest some symptoms of the virus end up testing positive to the disease.Meanwhile, Kaduna State Commissioner for Health. Dr. Joseph Thot Dogo had said at a function in Kaduna that, the Zaria case has not been ascertained.
He confirmed that, his ministry got the information and a team was dispatch to Zaria and the Blood sample of the suspected student was taken and flown to Lagos for laboratory test.According to him, “this is not the first suspected case, we have one in Jaji when an army Major just back from Sierra-Leonefell sick and was said to be showing some trails of Ebola and the same process was followed and the result is negative.
“We also have a woman in Kagoro who was said to be showing trails of Ebola virus and the Ebola steering Committee has sent her blood sample to Lagos and we are expecting the result in the next 24 hours.
I can confirm to you that Kaduna state is Ebola free and our technical committee is on standby for any unforeseen situation.” Dr Thot said.
