Zamfara Epidemiologist Dismisses Ebola Claims, Says 30 Deaths Under Investigation

The Zamfara State Epidemiologist, Dr Ahmad Muhammad Gusau, has dismissed reports of an Ebola outbreak in Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state, saying laboratory tests are being conducted to identify the cause of a strange illness associated with malaria-like symptoms, amid reports of about 30 deaths.

Gusau, who spoke exclusively with LEADERSHIP on Monday morning, said the deaths recorded since the onset of the illness could not yet be directly attributed to the disease, as some of the deceased had underlying health conditions.

He said the state Ministry of Health had deployed a rapid response team to Shinkafi on Sunday to investigate reports of the illness and assess the situation at the general hospital.

The epidemiologist also dismissed claims that patients were lying on hospital floors due to overcrowding, saying the medical director of the facility reported that unused bed spaces were available.

“People said patients are lying on the floor. It is not true. We did not see that. The medical director told us he even has surplus unused bed spaces,” Gusau said.

He added that no patient presenting with bleeding, a major warning sign associated with Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fevers, had been reported to the hospital.

“Nobody has bled. We asked the MD, he said he has not received any patient with bleeding. So we advise people not to blow up information just to create panic,” he said.

Gusau said the patients examined so far had presented with malaria-like symptoms, adding that samples had been collected and sent to the National Reference Laboratory for testing.

He said the tests were intended to establish whether the illness was dengue fever, chikungunya or another febrile disease.

“We have taken samples and sent them to the National Reference Laboratory to verify whether it is dengue fever or chikungunya or other febrile illnesses. Probably by today or tomorrow, the final result should be out because we cannot make a pronouncement until the laboratory confirms,” he said.

The epidemiologist explained that the reported fatalities could not be conclusively linked to the illness without further investigation, noting that some patients had diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions.

“The presentation and the mortality cannot be directly related to the symptoms they are presenting. Some present with diabetes, some with hypertension and other chronic diseases,” he said.

He added that the Ministry of Health had supplied drugs, relief materials and other medical consumables to Shinkafi General Hospital to support the treatment of patients, while surveillance activities had been intensified to monitor the situation.

Gusau also urged residents to maintain proper environmental hygiene and seek medical attention promptly when they developed symptoms.

He expressed concern that some residents relied on home-based treatment and delayed visiting health facilities until their conditions had deteriorated.

“People stay passive in their homes. They will not come to hospital. They invite people to treat them inside their houses. By the time they present to the health facility, the condition has already deteriorated,” he said.

The epidemiologist also rejected allegations that the state government was concealing information about a possible outbreak, insisting that authorities had no reason to hide a disease of international concern.

“Why would we hide Ebola? What gain do we have in hiding Ebola, which is a disease of international concern? When disease happens, we should respond to it and prevent its spread. Government does not accept hiding the reality of a situation,” he added.

The cause of the illness and the relationship between the reported deaths and the cases under investigation remain unconfirmed pending the outcome of laboratory tests.