No Ebola Virus Disease In Ghana— Dr Amoo

Ghanaians have been assured that there is no Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Ghana, since all suspected cases of the EVD investigated at the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research in Accra have proved negative.

Dr Philip Amoo, National Technical Committee member on Ebola, disclosed this at a symposium organised by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on Ebola in Accra, on Thursday August 21, 2014.

Dr Amoo said, however, that EVD was a fatal illness with a death rate of up to 90 per cent which affect both humans and non-human primates.
     
He said EVD was not transmitted in the air and, therefore, not an air-borne disease, adding that there was no known treatment or vaccine.

He said the disease was caused by infected bats, monkeys and gorillas and spread by body contacts through fluids such as sweat, saliva, semen, blood, tears, faeces, breast milk, vomit, urine and the handling of dead animals.

Dr Oliver Commey, a public health physician and member of the Ebola preparedness team, advised Ghanaians to wash their hands with soap under running water frequently and to avoid unessential travel to affected countries.

Dr Commey said the Ghana Medical Association was prepared against any possible outbreak of EVD, adding that borders and any entry points control including the airports needed to be strengthened because they were the routes that EVD was likely to get into the country.

According to Dr Commey, the total cases recorded was 2,127 with 1,145 deaths, hence the need to understand the nature of EVD and its preventive ways.

He disclosed that the Ministry of Health had ordered 10,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so as not to risk the lives of frontline workers and ultimately the general public.

Dr Commey, however, urged government and the Ministry of Health to as a matter of urgency, procure enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to enhance the state of preparedness of the country.

He said the World Health Organization (WHO) had not imposed travel bans but was against travel of Ebola cases or contacts, unless part of medical evacuation.

He urged suspected EVD cases be reported to the right authorities especially those who had fever and had travelled to or from an EVD-affected country.

Source: ISD