http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-19/cameroon-blocks-all-nigeria-borders-ebola-cases-rise-17-liberian-escapees-recovered
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/19/2014 14:51 -0400
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http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-18/who-urges-exit-screening-all-travelers-ebola-infected-countries-reported-cases-go-pa
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/18/2014 17:15 -0400
http://mediaequalizer.com/brian-maloney/2014/08/korea-africans-unwelcome
Cameroon Blocks All Nigeria Borders As Ebola Cases Rise, 17 Liberian Escapees Recovered
On the bright side, Nigeria claims it is "cautiously optimistic" about the spread of Ebola in Lagos; however, 3 more cases reported andthe fact that Cameroon has decided to block all borders with Nigeria because "it is better to act preventively rather than have to heal" suggests things are anything but under control. The 17 quarantined Ebola-symptomatic patients that escaped from a Liberia clinic have been found and put back into quarantine in another clinic. The WHO reports the rate of cases and deaths are accelerating further with 1,229 deaths and 2,240 reported cases with Austria the most recent nation to get a scare as APA reports two cases found.
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Cameroon blocks borders to Nigeria...
Cameroon has closed all its land, sea and air borders with Nigeria in a move to help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus, the government spokesman told AFP today."All borders (land, sea and air) between Cameroon and Nigeria are closed. Our thinking is that it is better to act preventively rather than have to heal" later those who may fall ill, said Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who is Cameroon's communications minister.No cases of Ebola have been recorded so far in Cameroon which shares a nearly 2,000-kilometre-long border with Nigeria, where the virus has claimed four lives with about a dozen people infected.
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And Austria has 2 Ebola cases...
- *AUSTRIAN PROVINCE SUSPECTS EBOLA IN TWO CASES, APA REPORTS
Two men who arrived in Austria last week from Nigeria have been hospitalised on suspicion of carrying the Ebola disease, a regional Austrian governor said today.Blood samples were sent to a laboratory in Germany with results expected later today, Josef Puehringer, governor of Upper Austria province said.The two men were hospitalised in Voecklabruck after developing a fever following their return from Lagos and were currently being held in quarantine, Puehringer said.Authorities were also trying to locate anyone the pair may have been in contact with in case further action was needed, he said.
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The UN World Food Programme is preparing to deliver food to 1 million people over the next three months.
“I think now there is a high vigilance in all countries,” Fadela Chaib, a spokeswoman for WHO, told reporters in Geneva. “I can't remember the last time we fed 1 million people in a quarantine situation.”
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But apart from that, it's all under control
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-18/who-urges-exit-screening-all-travelers-ebola-infected-countries-reported-cases-go-pa
WHO Urges "Exit Screening" Of All Travelers In Ebola-Infected Countries As Reported Cases Go Parabolic
In its strongest-worded statement yet, the World Health Organization is urging strengthened international cooperation to stop transmission of Ebola to other countries. Most critically, WHO urges:"Affected countries are requested to conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection." Falling short on banning international travel, WHO does warn non-affected countries to strengthen the capacity to detect and immediately contain new cases. Of course, in the interests of avoiding panic, they reiterate the risk of infection on a flight is low - which seems odd given that we get a cold every time we fly...
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Full WHO Statement:
The current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak is believed to have begun in Guinea in December 2013. This outbreak now involves community transmission in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and recently an ill traveller from Liberia infected a small number of people in Nigeria with whom he had direct contact.
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Affected countries are requested to conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection. Any person with an illness consistent with EVD should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation. There should be no international travel of Ebola contacts or cases, unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation.
Non-affected countries need to strengthen the capacity to detect and immediately contain new cases, while avoiding measures that will create unnecessary interference with international travel or trade.
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend any ban on international travel or trade, in accordance with advice from the WHO Ebola Emergency Committee.
Travel restrictions and active screening of passengers on arrival at sea ports, airports or ground crossings in non-affected countries that do not share borders with affected countries are not currently recommended by WHO.
Worldwide, countries should provide their citizens traveling to Ebola-affected countries with accurate and relevant information on the Ebola outbreak and measures to reduce the risk of exposure.
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As we warned last week, the pace of cases reported is exploding...
http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20140818/API/308189847/17-who-fled-Liberia-Ebola-clinic-still-missing
Some who fled Liberia Ebola clinic re-hospitalized
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Some of the people who fled an Ebola quarantine center in a Liberian slum when it was looted over the weekend are again under observation at a hospital Monday, a health official said.
Late Saturday, residents of Monrovia's West Point slum attacked a quarantine center, where people were being monitored for possible infection with Ebola. The residents were angry that patients were brought to the holding center from other parts of Monrovia.
During the raid, up to 30 suspected Ebola patients fled, but at least some have now been brought to another hospital, Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said late Sunday. It was not clear how many of those who fled had been tracked down or how authorities were identifying them.
None of those who fled had been confirmed with Ebola and the process of screening them is continuing, Nyenswah said.
There are concerns that the raid could fuel the spread of Ebola in a slum where at least 50,000 people live. Police said the looters stole bloody sheets and mattresses, which could carry the infection.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/ebola-latest-3-new-cases-4-victims-discharged/
Ebola Latest: 3 new cases as 4 more victims are discharged
By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna, Olasunkanmi Akoni, Peter Duru, Victoria Ojeme, Monsur Olowoopejo & Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS— IT was a case of mixed fortunes for the nation, yesterday, in the management of the Ebola Virus Disease as three fresh cases were discovered, while four of those earlier admitted at the isolation centre in Lagos were discharged.
LAGOS— IT was a case of mixed fortunes for the nation, yesterday, in the management of the Ebola Virus Disease as three fresh cases were discovered, while four of those earlier admitted at the isolation centre in Lagos were discharged.
Lagos State Health Commissioner, Dr. Jide Idris, who confirmed the emergence of three new cases, remarked: “As at yesterday, (Sunday), we had three new suspected cases. One of them is a blood sample from Kaduna State, while the two others are from Lagos and they are primary contacts. A reason for this was that they do not have the laboratory to test for the virus.
“What we have now is that, there are four people dead, including the index (Mr. Patrick Sawyer). We have eight in the isolation ward before Saturday when we released the doctor, and this doctor was released after testing negative and going through the World Health Organisation, WHO and Centre for Disease Control, CDC, procedures for discharge.
FROM LEFT: MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES, MRS SARAH OCHEPE; CHAIRMAN, MINI BUS UTAKO PARK, ABUJA, MR OLUGBADE OLAGUNJU AND FCT DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL UNION OF ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS, ALHAJI GABI IBRAHAM, WASHING THEIR HANDS TO COMMENCE THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY HANDS WASHING CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF EBOLA VIRUS IN NIGERIA AT UTAKO MOTOR PARK IN ABUJA ON MONDAY
Four more discharged
Four additional confirmed patients of Ebola Virus Disease have been discharged from the isolation centre of the Mainland Hospital in Lagos.
The discharged patients, including two male medical doctors, one female nurse and another patient, have been managed successfully and are now disease-free and ready to resume their normal life activities.
The development brings to five the total number of patients diagnosed with Ebola who have now been discharged from hospital, following the discharge of the first EVD patient over the weekend.
Announcing the development yesterday in Abuja, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the three participated in the treatment of the first case of Ebola in Nigeria, the late American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer while the fourth person was a female patient at the time the index case was on admission.
In Lagos, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who briefed newsmen along with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, said the patients would be released yesterday (Monday).
“We have 12 confirmed cases and that includes the index (first) case and all the other cases that we have confirmed positive and those who have died. And today, we have four more patients ready for discharge, and they have gone through the same protocol — the protocol is that before we release anyone or certify him or her negative, he or she has to be symptoms-free for over three days. Also, we had to test their blood and the result proved negative of the virus.
“They will be released today (yesterday) after they have completed their counselling exercise being conducted by our psycho-social team, but they will come periodically for check-ups; though they are okay.”
Three others in Isolation
Assuring that everything was under control, the commissioner said the new cases were being closely monitored.
“The other three patients are still being monitored at the isolation centre. Once they get better, they will be released too.
“The lady who ran to Enugu is still in isolation and has tested positive to the virus. She is among the three still under isolation.”
Treatment of patients
On the nature of treatment being accorded Ebola virus disease patients, Idris explained that there was no specific treatment per se.
“We treat the patients based on the presentation. For instance, if the patient shows symptoms of diarrhoea, he or she has to be treated with electrolyte and others. If the person shows signs of pain, he or she will be given pain-relieving drugs. We have enough drugs to take care of them.
“If they require intensive care, we will do that. This is part of the equipment that has been brought in. They will be provided with such.”
More medical personnel
Giving an update on medical personnel available to care for the patients, Idris remarked: “At the moment, we have more medical personnel to care for the patients. We have eight doctors and nine nurses and some health workers who have gone through the training. We have also been joined by infectious disease experts from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH. All these people have gone through the training. Though the number is not enough; we need more.”
Expert reacts
Reacting to the development, the Director of Communication and Community Mobilisation for Ebola in Nigeria, Professor Adebayo Onajole said that the country has been able to contain the spread through increased surveillance at the country’s borders (air, land and sea), increased awareness and less disinformation about the disease in the country.
Onajole, a consultant public health expert noted that universal health precautions and personal hygiene are currently being encouraged, a situation which has helped halt the spread of the disease.
He said: “Efforts are currently ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of response, including contact tracking, public information and community mobilization, case management and infection prevention and control, and coordination. There is now increased disease surveillance system in a bid to monitor, control, and prevent any occurrence of the disease,” he concluded.
Five committees have been set up in the country to halt the spread of the disease, investigations reveal. These committees include contact tracing – responsible for tracing contacts of infected persons; case management unit – responsible for managing established cases; and point of entry unit which is charged with the responsibility of examining persons entering Nigeria from various borders.
Three quarantined in Makurdi
Meanwhile, two missionary workers and their driver have been quarantined at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi, the Benue state capital, on suspicion of infection with Ebola virus.
Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, Professor Orkurga Malu, who disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi, dispelled rumours that the quarantined persons were infected with the virus.
Malu explained that Benue indigenes who hitherto resided in Monrovia for a year where they engaged in missionary work, relocated from the Liberian capital in the wake of the Ebola outbreak.
“There is no truth that some Benue indigenes from Monrovia, Liberia are victims of the deadly Ebola virus. What happened is that since some airlines have shut down operations to Liberia, the couple and their driver had to take a connecting flight from their base to Accra, Ghana where they stayed for a week before travelling to Nigeria.”
While refusing to disclose the identity of the persons concerned, Malu said, on arrival in the state, they were quickly admitted in the hospital and have been kept under close observation.
“They have not shown any symptoms of the disease because at every stage their temperature is checked and tested right from Monrovia before they boarded the plane to Ghana and then Nigeria.
“Since they came in here on Thursday, we have been testing them on a daily basis and there is no evidence of temperature rise or any of the symptoms of the virus.
“So we are 99.9 per cent sure that they do not have Ebola virus. But just in the remotest case of 0.1 percent, we have kept them to ensure they do not have the disease,” he stated.
The CMD who urged the people of the state not to panic assured that the hospital has adequate facilities to cater for any victim of the virus.
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2014/08/ebola-in-guinea-new-cases-emerge.html
Ebola in Guinea: New cases emerge
Via Le Jour, a PANA report: Ebola virus: re-emergence of new cases in Guinea. Excerpt from the Google translation:
The resurgence of the Ebola virus in some areas of Guinea remains "an emerging concern" of the health authorities of the country, told PANA Saturday, the head of the Division of Disease Prevention Department of Health, Dr. Sakhoba Keita.
Area Faranah in Upper Guinea, he says, suddenly became "a major concern" because of the massive return of many Guineans in Sierra Leone and neighboring Liberia, also affected by Ebola.
"These new patients have returned to the fold before taking the national health emergency decision by the head of state (...). We record an average of two to three new cases per day, patients who come along the border between the two neighboring countries, "he said.
Prefecture Macenta in Forest Guinea (South) which is party the first case in January, which, he said, made two months without new cases has become "the main focus" of the new cases registered are also found in the towns of Youmou and Guéckédou in the same region.
He said that 45 cases were confirmed in Macenta and 75 confirmed contacts. As of August 14, 515 confirmed cases were reported in the country, while 378 patients have died and 18 are under observation in hospitals in Conakry, Siguiri and N'Zérékoré in the southern region.
Health Ministry official ensures that "practical and robust measures" were taken to cut the chain of transmission. Patients will no longer return to their homes, but must be sent to treatment centers and those who oppose it, as stated in the text of the decree establishing a national health emergency, will be prosecuted and brought before courts.
Taxi drivers making long trips, he says, are increasingly affected by the disease, as was the case recently in Siguiri (South West) and N'Zérékoré where drivers have embarked sick. A young driver -mechanic 25 years old, living Dubréka, about 60 km from the capital, would have gone sick of Sierra Leone in early August and will die of Ebola fever diagnosed, told by officials of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), including hundreds of experts and other workers in Guinea since the beginning of the epidemic.
"Forty people quarantined Dubréka and that during the 21 days of the incubation period during which they will be followed by specializing in the fight against Ebola "doctors, said Dr. Keita.
Decree establishing a national health emergency made last Wednesday, stressed the erection of checkpoints at the borders, prompting health authorities to allow at least 41 next week. Health workers and security forces that will be deployed will receive hygiene kits available for their protection.
http://mediaequalizer.com/brian-maloney/2014/08/korea-africans-unwelcome
Korea: “Africans” unwelcome
Ebola gives pub excuse to bar black people
By Brian Maloney August 18th, 2014, 13:26 EDT
With ethnic relations once again making headlines in America, racism elsewhere can sometimes make discrimination here appear relatively minor by comparison. Consider what those of African origin face when living or traveling in Asia, for example.
Today’s illustration comes from Twitter, where one restaurant in South Korea is refusing to serve black people due to fears over Ebola!
Imagine the outrage were this sign to appear anywhere in the United States:
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