By Attah Ede
The US Embassy in Abuja has issued a health alert regarding the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, advising travellers returning from Ebola case areas to monitor their health for 21 days and alert healthcare providers before seeking care for possible Ebola symptoms.
The US Mission in Nigeria maintained that health officials were tracing contacts and enjoined travellers to follow guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
It described Ebola as a serious health concern, stating that “Ebola is a rare, severe, and often fatal hemorrhagic fever illness.”
It further explained that health officials were conducting contact tracing after the case was reported.
The US Mission Nigeria urged travellers to consult health guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and take precautions against possible exposure to the virus.
The US Mission Nigeria advised people to visit the CDC’s Ebola information page and its travel health page for Nigeria for relevant information.
The embassy also advised people who may be at risk of Ebola to alert their healthcare providers if they experience symptoms consistent with the disease, so they can receive guidance before presenting for medical care.
Travellers were also urged to continue taking malaria preventive medication as recommended by their doctors, stating that malaria symptoms can resemble those of Ebola and trigger avoidable health scares.
The US Embassy in a statement on Thursday, advised travellers to consult the US Department of State’s Nigeria country page for general health information.
It also directed them to the embassy’s list of medical providers and encouraged them to contact their travel insurance providers to understand available medical evacuation options if they become ill while overseas.
