Ebola in Nigeria: Nigeria receives experimental drug on Ebola

The Nigerian government has received an experimental drug for Ebola virus disease from an unnamed Nigerian scientist, Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu has said. Chukwu said Thursday details of the drug, which is named Nanosilver, will be disclosed later to the media, Xinhua reported.

Apart from Lagos, there is no Ebola case in any state of the country, the minister told reporters, adding that all suspected cases in other areas had proved negative. He said the Cross River state was also free of the disease, adding that the nurse who was under surveillance in Lagos and had travelled to the southeastern state of Enugu was back in Lagos with members of her family for close monitoring.

Last Friday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a national emergency, saying a sum of 1.9 billion naira ($11.6 million) will be released to prevent further spread of the Ebola virus disease. Ebola, which spreads through body fluids, has so far killed over 1000 people in West African countries.

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What is it?

The Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe condition caused by a virus from the Filoviridae family. Known to be a condition that is transmitted from animals to humans, this virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal.

What are the symptoms?

The incubation period (or the time between when the actual infection takes place to the time when a person sees symptoms of this condition) for this disease is about one week. After this period a person will commonly see the signs that are considered as 'early symptoms'. According to Dr Ratan,the early symptoms include fever, rashes, headache, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Apart from that a person may also experience symptoms like pain in the lower back, arthritis like pain all over the body, diarrhea and a sore throat.

How can it be prevented?

According to Dr Ratan, 'There aren't any vaccinations available as of now, so basic hygiene is of importance and a must be followed in order to prevent the onset of the condition. Simple activities like washing your hands well, drinking water from a clean source, maintaining general hygiene and cooking your meat well, can all serve as precautionary measures. Apart from that people should avoid crowded places, or those that are known to have an outbreak. It is also important that if they notice any early symptoms, they should visit a doctor immediately.' Read more about Ebola virus causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

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