Ebola: Abstinence from sex after recovery is important —Experts •WHO withdraws worker from Sierra Leone lab

Experts have cautioned that the semen of a male, who is getting over an Ebola virus infection, remains a body fluid from which Ebola virus disease may be contracted for a period of seven-weeks afterwards.

The European fact sheet for health professionals, the Public Health Agency of Canada Pathogen Safety data sheet indicated a period of seven weeks.

Also, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) Medical Managements of Biological Casualties Handbook (seventh edition) stated that such a patient should give at least 80 days for avoidance of sexual relations.

Although convalescent patients from Ebola virus infection are discharged before seven-weeks have elapsed, researchers pointed out that the men need to be made aware of this risk.

The body’s recommendation was based on studies carried out on a group of convalescent Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) patients and their Household Contacts (HHCs).

In 1999 study, which was documented in the Journal of Infectious Disease, the researchers obtained the blood and other body fluids specimens of convalescents and information on their symptom.

The blood specimens of their HHCs were also obtained. Test carried out found evidence of Ebola virus in the semen specimens of the convalescents up to 91 days after disease onset; however, these and all other non-blood body fluids tested negative by virus isolation.

It declared: “No direct evidence of convalescent-to-HHC transmission of EHF was found, although the semen of convalescents may be infectious.             The existence of initially antibody-positive HHCs suggests that mild cases of Ebola virus infection occurred and that the full extent of the EHF epidemic was probably underestimated.”

“EHF convalescents and their contacts should be followed in a research setting that includes screening of body fluids, especially semen; educating contacts to avoid body fluids, especially semen; and providing latex gloves when contact with body fluids is unavoidable.

Furthermore, condoms should be provided for three months to prevent potential sexual transmission of Ebola Virus.

WHO withdraws worker from Sierra Leone lab
The World Health Organization (WHO) has withdrawn a member of staff from a laboratory at Kailahun in Eastern Sierra Leone after one of its medical workers there was infected during the outbreak of Ebola disease.

This was disclosed by a WHO spokesperson.

“It’s a temporary measure to take care of the welfare of our remaining workers,” WHO spokesperson, Christy Feig, told Reuters.

“After our assessment, they will return.”

The WHO has sent nearly 400 people from its own member of staff and partner organisations to fight the outbreak in West Africa.

No single case in Oyo State —Govt
By Joseph Ajayi

Oyo State government has stated that there is no single case of Ebola virus in the state just as it said that it had made provisions to prevent the disease from entering the state.

This disclosure was made yesterday, in Ibadan, by a director in the Ministry of Health, Oyo State, Dr Gbolahan Abass, at a one-day sensitisation campaign on Ebola Viral Disease, organised by Oodu’a Investment Group, in conjunction with Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State and Junior Chambers International (JCI), Oyo State.

Dr Abass said in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease in the state, the state government had embarked on programmes such as campaigns and awareness programmes on the disease, training of health workers to manage the virus as well as procurement of personal protective equipment.

While urging the public to maintain personal hygiene as a means of preventing the virus, the medical expert said the state was fully prepared for the virus.

While giving a presentation on the virus, Dr Muideen Olatunji listed the risk factors of the virus to include contact with bats, chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys.

 He identified body and abdominal pains, headaches, pains in joints, muscles, and back, difficulty in swallowing and rash all over the body except in the face as stage one symptoms and absence of urine formation, rapid breathing, hiccups and neuropsychiatric abnormalities as phase two symptoms.

Dr Olatunji, who said there was no cure yet for Ebola, aside supportive treatment under isolation, urged members of the public to avoid contact with host species like bats, gorilla and chimpanzees and ensure compliance with hygienic practices such as wearing of personal protective equipment, management of patients in isolation, discouraging traditional burial practices and proper sterilisation and disposal of all equipment used in treating the disease.

PDP  scribe donates to  intervention
The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief  Olisa Metuh, on Wednesday  called on well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations in the country to support the Federal Government in the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

Chief Metuh, who made this call while presenting a personal donation of N1 million to the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, in Abuja, on Tuesday said the burden of finding solution to the Ebola scourge should not be left to the Federal Government alone.

According to him,“there is no way the Federal Government can be left alone to bear the burden of this challenge. It is my opinion that citizens of this country and corporate organisations should support the overall efforts  to eradicate the disease in our country.

“It is in this wise that I make my own little contribution and urge other well-meaning Nigerians to come out and join forces with the Federal Government and our health workers to end this scourge” he  said.

The PDP spokesman commended President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Health for the unprecedented response given to “this national emergency” even as he saluted health workers in the country for their show of patriotism, professionalism and sacrifices in the efforts to check the spread of the disease.

Chief Metuh, whose donation is expected to open a flood-gate of contributions from other well-meaning Nigerians, noted that the donations which should be made directly to the Ministry of Health would  assist in research for cure, treatment and care for victims as well as support to families of health workers, who paid the supreme price while working to save the nation from the spread of the disease.