How Lagos nursing mother got infected with Ebola virus - doctor

A medical doctor has described how a nursing
mother who is one of the confirmed cases of
the Ebola virus in Lagos contracted the
disease while attending her antenatal care at
First Consultant Hospital in Obalende,
Lagos where the first victim of Ebola virus in
Nigeria, Patrick Sawyerr, died. The lady was
confirmed to have the deadly disease after
testing positive at the NNPC staff clinic on
Muri Okunola street in the Victoria Island area
of Lagos.
Speaking anonymously with Punch, the doctor
said;
'The lady attended ante-natal at First
Consultant prior to the arrival of the Liberian,
Mr. Patrick Sawyer. She was delivered of her
baby at the hospital after which she was
discharged. A few weeks later, Mr. Sawyer
came around and was attended to by health
workers. He was first treated for malaria, then
typhoid, before there was high index of
suspicion. He tested positive for Ebola and
died. Then the woman, who gave birth at the
hospital came back to the hospital for her
baby’s immunization. The nurses who
attended to Sawyer also attended to her. When
she visited the place again last week, she
discovered the place had been shut down for
proper fumigation as a means of control
against Ebola.” he said. Continue...
Seeing that the hospital has been shut down,
the lady who had started showing signs of
fever proceeded to the NNPC staff clinic which
was close by.
'She was first treated for Malaria. However,
after some medical tests, there was a high
suspicion of Ebola haemorrhagic fever. On
Friday, the Lagos State’s emergency response
team on Ebola virus came around and took
her to the Infectious Diseases Hospital,” he
added.
The management of the hospital after
confirming she had the deadly
virus immediately shut down the hospital
indefinitely.
Confirming the doctor's report, the Medical
Officer of Health, Iru-Victoria Island Local
Council Development Area, Dr. Wale Akeredolu,
said the woman's baby has been quarantined
and is under surveillance
“The baby has also been quarantined to see if
after the incubation period of two to 21 days,
she would manifest the symptoms of Ebola.”
he said