Ebola Scare hits Ghana


The general public is in a state of extreme fear following reports of a suspected case of the deadly Ebola virus in Ghana, DAILY GUIDE has gathered.

Earlier reports on Sunday said Ghana might have recorded its first case of the deadly Ebola disease.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) over the weekend confirmed a curious fever case of an American citizen who was admitted at the Nyaho Clinic in Accra.

Apparently, the unnamed American had been to Sierra Leone and Liberia, both countries devastated by the deadly virus.

A few months ago, a teenage girl with strange symptoms of fever was feared to have contracted Ebola and was rushed to the hospital. Her blood sample was analysed by the Noguchi Memorial Research Institute. The research ruled out Ebola infection.

Many Ghanaians have taken to social media to express their fears about the possibility of deadly incurable disease creeping into Ghana. The disease that is gradually becoming an epidemic as it sweeps across West Africa.

However, the MoH has debunked the fears, saying it would need a confirmation from the Nugochi Memorial Research Centre which is currently investigating the strange fever.

A statement issued by the Ministry described the incident as a ‘suspected fever case’ which has not been officially confirmed or debunked as an Ebola case.

‘The Ministry of Health wishes to inform the general public that the suspected fever case recorded at the Nyaho Clinic has not been confirmed yet by Noguchi Memorial Research Centre,’ Tony Goodman, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry stated in a release on Monday.

‘ Meanwhile, the Ministry has put in place every precautionary measures at the clinic which include additional support of Public Health staff from the Ministry, directive to quarantine patient and clinical staff, supply of protective gowns for staff of that hospital,’ the Ministry stated.

‘The Ministry has also directed that the case remain at that clinic and retreated until otherwise whilst we wait for the laboratory result from the Noguchi Memorial Research Centre.’

‘We expect the general public to remain calm as we wait for the result from the blood sample taken for test. We will like to assure the general public that we have everything under control,’ Mr Goodman stated.

A total of 455 deaths have so far been reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) African Regional Director, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo.

This forced a meeting of Health Ministers from West African countries in Accra recently to provide an update on the epidemic and to share experiences from countries that have faced similar outbreaks in the past.

Ebola virus is a severe incurable illness with a fatality rate of up to 90 percent. It is transmitted by bodily fluids and tissues of infected animals or people.

After an incubation period of two to 21 days, early symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. Late term symptoms are more serious and include vomiting, diarrhoea, impaired kidney and liver function, and sometimes both internal and external bleeding (haemorrhaging).

By: Raphael Ofori-Adeniran
 
 
 
 
 

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