Residents shun meat consumption. Fish patronage soars #nigeria #ebolavirus

Following the red alert over Ebola killer virus across the
country, fish sellers are being heavily patronised in Bauchi,
the Bauchi State capital, as residents shun meat in the light
of the claim that the virus could be contracted through the
eating of bush meat.
In Lagos, Governor Babatunde Fashola called for
professionalism in Customs and Immigration Service at the
borders to stop the virus from entering Nigeria. Edo State
government, pre-emptorily, called for vigilance in the state.
Also, yesterday, ASKY Airlines, which conveyed the Ebola
victim who died in Lagos from Liberia, was cleared by the
NCAA to resume flying into Nigeria.
In the meantime, an American doctor infected with the Ebola
virus became the first to be flown to the U.S. for treatment
and arrived, yesterday, in Atlanta, a missionary group said.
BAUCHI
Reports from Bauchi, yesterday, said fish sellers at Wunti,
Muda Lawal and Central markets, as well as those along the
Maiduguri Road confirmed high patronage over the last few
days. High patronage is also being recorded by business
owners who have fish ponds in the state.
Mrs. Bolaji Olorunwaju, a fish seller, said the Ebola alert
scared people away from consuming bush meat, adding
that they now patronize fish.
"Since last week, I have made great profit from the sale of
fish. I now make between five to ten thousand naira a day
unlike the former situation when I made five thousand a
day."
Another seller opposite the Bauchi stadium, Sani Maigari,
said his fish business had blossomed in the last two weeks
because of the fear by residents that the Ebola virus could
be contacted through the consumption of meat.
Reacting to the development, the Director of the State
Primary Health Care Development Agency, PHCDA, Umar
Gamawa, said the state government had put in place
measures to forestall the outbreak of the virus.
LAGOS
In Lagos, Governor Fashola called for professionalism in
Customs and Immigration Service at the borders to check
Ebola.
Fashola, who spoke to journalists at the Lagos House, Ikeja,
charged the men and women at the nation's border posts;
airports, seaports and land borders, especially men of the
Customs and Immigration Service, to be conscious of their
added responsibility as the first line of defence for the
country against the deadly disease.
"Quite aside from localizing the spread, the men and women
at our border posts, especially the Customs and the
Immigration Services must now know that they are our first
line of defence. What happens going forward depends on
how professionally they act. It is prevention rather than just
calling health workers to come and quarantine people that
are really the strongest defence now against the migration
of the virus", the governor said.
Fashola said the disease could be contained if it is
localized than to allow free entry of people at the nation's
numerous borders adding, "This is no longer a local
problem; it is an international problem because it is being
transmitted across the borders".
EDO
Edo State government, yesterday, announced that there was
no trace of Ebola in the state. The government, however,
advised the people to remain vigilant and report any
suspicious case to the nearest health facility.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Aihanuwa Eregie,
who addressed journalists, said his ministry, in
collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and
other health partners had carried out disease surveillance
activities in all parts of the state to ensure early detection
of any outbreak and the timely containment and control of
same.
ONDO
In Ondo, the state government commenced moves to
contain Ebola.
Health Commissioner, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, organised a one-
day sensitisation meeting with public and private health
practitioners in the state on Ebola.
According to him, the state had designated three hospitals
with facilities to quarantine any suspected case in the state.
The centres are Federal Medical Centre, Owo for the
northern senatorial district, State Specialist Hospital, Akure
for the central senatorial district and the State Specialist
Hospital, Okitipupa to take care of the south.
The commissioner also said that the state would train 30
barrier nurses to operate the three centres.
Adeyanju also said that health facilities across the state
would be strengthened with equipment to prevent the spread
of the disease into the state.
ABUJA
In Abuja, residents were urged to be vigilant and report any
suspicious case to a health facility nearest to them.
According to the FCT Administration, in the face of the
Ebola hemorrhagic fever threat, it was stepping up
implementation of key outbreak containment strategies
including community engagement and involvement, tracing
of contacts, sensitization of health workers at all levels
both public and private, provision of personal protective
equipment, distribution of information leaflets as well as
ensure that was effective coordination of all response
activities.
The Secretary, FCTA Health and Human Services
Secretariat, Dr Demola Onakomaiya, explained that the virus
has an incubation period of 2- 21days before the onset of
symptoms.
ASKY AIRLINE
ASKY Airline yesterday resumed flight operations to Nigeria
after Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, lifted the
suspension placed on the airline on Friday. This is coming
after a series of meetings between top management of the
airlines, health experts and the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority - NCAA, and a satisfactory report had been
submitted with documentary evidence indicating a clear
road map on all measures taken to prevent the spread of
Ebola.
AMERICAN DOCTOR
An American doctor infected with the Ebola virus was the
first to be flown to the U.S. for treatment and arrived,
yesterday, in Atlanta, a missionary group said.
Two seriously ill American aid workers will be treated at
Atlanta's Emory University Hospital. Samaritan's Purse
missionary group spokesman Todd Shearer told newsmen
that a plane carrying Dr. Kent Brantly had left West Africa.
Brantly works for the group that is paying for the trip.
The private jet outfitted with a special, portable tent
designed for transporting patients with highly infectious
diseases arrived at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta,
Georgia, just outside Atlanta.