UPDATE: OAU Ebola suspect had contact with Ebola patient in Port Harcourt

There is panic in the Obafemi Awolowo University community in Ile-Ife, Osun State as a patient, a female student, on admission in the institution’s health centre is suspected to have the Ebola virus disease.

Nigerian Tribune reported quoted Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, as saying that the suspected student was discovered to have had secondary contact with an Ebola victim in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,  adding that she fell sick when she arrived in the university and was rushed to OAUTHC

Another official was quoted to have said that there was panic because the student was based in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, where the virus recently spread to.

He said: “A patient was brought to the health centre and due to the fact that she lives in Port Harcourt, there were fears that it might be Ebola. We have carried out tests on the victim and found that she is suffering from fever. Not satisfied, we pressed further by holding an emergency meeting which ended about five minutes ago.”

The Punch also reported that officials were seen disinfecting the surroundings of the health center. “We are only taking preventive measures. To be 100 per cent satisfied, we have sent a letter to the Ebola Emergency Team in Lagos and the team should arrive by tomorrow”, an official had explained.

The patient had not tested positive to the virus but the Federal Government Emergency Ebola Team has been contacted.

PRO, Olanrewaju however disclosed that the student had been evacuated to Lagos, where she would undergo screening, in order to verify if she had actually contracted the disease.