All clear after first Ebola scare
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday August 5, 2014 13:12
Yesterday, Head of the District Health Management Team, Godfrey Simonga told Mmegi that there was no need for panic as tests had cleared the Botswana College of Agriculture student.
The student (name known to this publication) is a Liberian citizen who is currently studying at the College. She had returned back to Liberia for a short vacation and upon returning to Botswana, triggered tests by local health authorities who feared she could have contracted the deadly disease during her return home.
“Botswana is preparing itself for any case of Ebola,” Simonga said.
“At all entry points in to the country, we have health officials stationed who are assessing any suspected Ebola patients.
“We have officers at the airport and all borders and these are monitoring visitors from those countries affected by the Ebola outbreak.”
He added: “The Ministry of Health has bought all necessary equipment to treat Ebola patients, but not all the equipment is available at this point and we are hoping everything will be made available quickly.”
Simonga explained that once the first case of Ebola is registered, other activities at the Block 8 Clinic would be discontinued. BCA Public Relations Manager, Onkgopotse Moreri, said one of their international students had to screened by health officials even though she had a certificate of clearance from the United Nations.
“She had to go for screening and the results were that was negative for Ebola, just as the UN certificate had indicated. Our international students will be screened as soon as they return for their studies,” she said.
The latest scare comes shortly after the Ministry of Health issued an advisory to Batswana identifying the symptoms of the disease and the steps to be taken should one suspect infection.
Ebola is a viral illness of which the initial symptoms can include a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Once infected, the patient subsequently starts vomiting and in some cases experiences both internal and external bleeding.
Patient can contact the disease through contact with infected animals, including chimpanzees and bats. It then spreads through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments.
Ebola has claimed around 826 lives in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leon and Guinea collectively. WHO has also revealed that even the funerals of Ebola victims can be a risk if mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased.