Ebola: Six misleading claims Nigerians should watch out for
Ebola: Six misleading claims Nigerians should watch out for
On Tuesday, Nigeria confirmed the first case of Ebola disease in the country’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ali Pate, minister of health and social welfare, said the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
Pate said that 44 close contacts have been quarantined for observation to prevent further transmission.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the Ebola case detected in Nigeria is the Bundibugyo strain, which is behind a major DR Congo outbreak.
The centre said the patient was a diplomat who is now experiencing multi-organ failure.
But as public concern grows, misleading claims could spread through social media posts, WhatsApp messages, recycled videos and sensational headlines.
To that end, CableCheck has compiled seven likely claims Nigerians should watch out for when they surface online.
‘EBOLA SPREADS THROUGH THE AIR, SO EVERYONE IN ABUJA IS AT RISK’
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease in humans that can damage multiple organs and cause organ failure. Several strains of Ebola virus exist, including the Bundibugyo virus confirmed in Nigeria. Ebola viruses belong to the genus Orthoebolavirus in the family Filoviridae.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Bundibugyo virus can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or through contact with contaminated objects. Infection can also occur through contact with infected animals.
This means Ebola does not spread through the air like influenza. A person does not become infected simply by being in the same room as an infected person or living in the same city.
Therefore, being in Abuja does not automatically put everyone at risk of Ebola infection. The risk depends on factors such as whether a person has had direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids or contaminated materials.
‘EVERYONE WHO TRAVELLED ON THE SAME FLIGHT AS THE PATIENT NOW HAS EBOLA’
The federal ministry of health on Tuesday said it has identified 44 close contacts of the patient for tracing to prevent further transmission.
However, sharing a flight with an infected person does not automatically mean that someone has contracted Ebola. The risk depends on the nature of exposure.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is symptomatic, or with contaminated objects. WHO says people do not transmit the disease before symptoms develop.
‘ANYONE WITH A FEVER, HEADACHE OR WEAKNESS HAS EBOLA’
Symptoms of Ebola include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat. The illness may progress to vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, skin rash, and impaired kidney and liver function.
However, these symptoms can also occur in other illnesses, including malaria. Therefore, symptoms alone cannot confirm an Ebola diagnosis; laboratory testing is required.
‘DRINKING SALT WATER, BATHING WITH HOT WATER OR TAKING HERBAL MIXTURES CAN PREVENT EBOLA’
During Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, many people were misled into drinking salt water in the belief that it could prevent or cure the disease.
However, there is no scientific evidence that drinking salt water, taking herbal mixtures, or bathing with hot water can prevent or cure Ebola. Such practices can be harmful and may delay access to appropriate medical care.
WHO recommends evidence-based outbreak control measures, including early medical care, infection prevention, surveillance, and contact tracing. Anyone who suspects they may have Ebola symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus should seek medical advice promptly by contacting the NCDC toll-free line on 6232.
‘NIGERIA IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME EBOLA OUTBREAK IT HAD IN 2014’
Nigeria witnessed the Ebola Zaire strain in Nigeria, which is different from the Bundibugyo virus confirmed on Tuesday.
The Zaire ebolavirus is the most pathogenic, with up to a 90 percent mortality rate, while Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) is the least pathogenic, with less than 37% mortality.
Hence, it is advisable not to conflate different Ebola virus species or assume that the current outbreak will follow the same course.
‘THE OFFICIAL CASE COUNT CAN’T BE TRUSTED AS THE GOVERNMENT DELIBERATELY CONCEALED EBOLA FOR WEEKS’
According to the ministry of health, the patient arrived in Nigeria on October 5 and developed symptoms two days later, on October 7. She sought medical care on October 11, four days after the symptoms began, and received laboratory confirmation on October 20, nine days later.
Ebola has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days, meaning symptoms may develop within this period after exposure. However, the gap between the onset of symptoms and laboratory confirmation does not, in itself, establish that authorities deliberately concealed the case.
