According to Wikipedia, Ebola is an infectious and generally fatal disease marked by fever and severe internal bleeding, spread through contact with infected body fluids by a filovirus (Ebola virus ), whose normal host species is unknown.
It was originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) in 1976 and it was named after a river.
According to New York Times a US based newspaper, the disease was discover when it kills a 2-year-old boy who on December 6 2013, just a few days after falling ill in a village in Guéckédou, in south-eastern of Guinea. A border between Sierra Leone and Liberia, Guéckédou is at the intersection of three nations, where the disease found an easy entry point to the region.
A week later, it killed the boy’s mother, then his 3-year-old sister, then his grandmother. All had fever, vomiting and diarrhea, but no one knew what had sickened them.
New York Times continue the research that, two mourners at the grandmother’s funeral took the virus home to their village. A health worker carried it to still another, where he died, as did his doctor. They both infected relatives from other towns. By the time Ebola was recognized, in March, 2014, dozens of people had died in eight Guinean communities and suspected cases were popping up in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Late July a Liberian-American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, travelled to Lagos from Monrovia and became Nigeria’s index case for the Ebola virus was actually under surveillance by the Liberian health authorities, even though he still managed to board a flight to travel.
President Goodluck Jonathan has described late Patrick Sawyer actions as pure ‘madness’ and craziness.
Meanwhile, Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed regrets at the circumstances under which the virus was brought to Nigeria by late Sawyer who died in Lagos.
The disease has killed a health worker who attended to Sawyer while in Nigeria.
Today in Nigeria, the disease has infected about 2 people, killing one while nine are under surveillance. The Lagos State government and Federal government of Nigeria has since then set up an isolation centre in Lagos to tackle the disease.
But the problem is the mode of transmission of the disease to other person. According to many reports of doctors and health workers, the disease can be contacted through fluids, it means that if anyone who has it put his/her hands inside his/her mouth one can easily contact it by touching where the infected has place his/her hands.
Many worshipers in churches across Nigeria are no longer shaking hands with each other because of the fear of the disease.
The disease has forced many churches in Nigeria to change many things in the church.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja on Sunday has announced the new procedures for worshipers at Masses to check likely spread of the Ebola virus.
A statement by Rev. Fr. Moses Jimbili, at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Nyanya read in parts;
“Due to the prevailing national situation on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), I am directing that the following pastoral guidelines should be observed throughout our Archdiocese till further notice.
“The sign of peace should be omitted at Mass, Communion in the hand is highly recommended and should be encouraged (unless for those who insist on receiving on the tongue),” the statement quoted the Cardinal as saying.
According to Chief Medical Correspondent on CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, infected persons might die in 10 days.
One of the dangers of the disease is that if such persons enters a public bus and touches rails or anything in the bus, many people can be infected. Ebola can also be contacted through sweat.
Another danger is the use of hand gloves by the health workers. I visited a hospital where I saw a health worker attending to patients using one hand glove. Imagine if there is a patient with an Ebola virus is among them? It means that using one hand glove for many patients is very dangerous. Nurses can easily transfer the disease to other persons through the use of hand gloves. Health workers need to be train and retrain to be able to curb transmission of this deadly disease.
Doctor also warns that one can contact the disease through careless handling of money.
Though it has not been confirmed if the disease can be contacted through airborne.
Doctors/health workers and health analysts warns that there is a need for everyone to be very careful, vigilant and be sensitive. Everyone should avoid unnecessary hands shaking to prevent the spread of the disease. And also wash our hands regularly.
Meanwhile, the price of disinfectant and hands sanitizers has sky rocketed has demand rises and people are taking the advantage to make money.
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