Ebola-CDC Commends Nigeria’s Approach, Says Country Almost EVD-Free

The Centre for Disease Control, CDC, the centre responsible for controlling and checking the spread of diseases in the Unites States, has commended Nigeria for the way it handled the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, which was brought into the country by Patrick Sawyer in July this year.

The CDC in a release acknowledged that the disease could be coming to an end in the country. The last time Nigeria had a reported case of Ebola was on August 31, which the CDC believes is an indication that the country could be close to breaking free from the disease, which has ravaged some West African countries, and killing more than 3,000 people.

Recall that the Rivers State Government and the Federal Ministry of Health placed some 400 people under surveillance in Port Harcourt. The good news is that virtually all 894 suspected cases of the disease have exited the monitoring phase.

“Although Nigeria isn't completely out of the woods, their extensive response to a single case of Ebola shows that control is possible with rapid, focused interventions," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a statement. "Countries throughout the region as well as Nigeria need to take rapid steps to prepare for possible cases of Ebola in order to prevent outbreaks in their country,” writes the CDC.