Residents of Kaduna were thrown into confusion
on Friday following rumour of an outbreak of the
deadly Ebola virus disease in the state.
There was a rumour of an outbreak of the
deadly disease at Saint Gerald’s Catholic
Hospital, located in the state capital.

Following the rumour of the Ebola spread, which
also mentioned another hospital located in
Kaduna South Local Government Area within the
city centre, sources at the hospitals told our
correspondent that many patients, who were on
admission, fled the hospital for fear of
contracting the deadly disease, which presently
has no cure.

But the Public Relations Officer of Saint Gerald’s
Hospital, Mr John Ali, said there was no case of
the Ebola disease and wondered how people
came up with the rumour that the dreaded had
hit Kaduna.

On his part, the State Commissioner for Health,
Dr Thot Dogo, told our correspondent on the
telephone that people should disregard the
rumour as there was no case of the disease in
the state.

Dogo described the rumour as unsubstantiated
and was only created by some people to cause
panic among residents.

In spite of the state government and the hospital
authorities’ statements debunking the rumour,
residents have taken to social media to inform
their loved ones about the outbreak of the
disease and what they should do to stay alive.
Some recommended mixing salt in hot water to
wash their faces; a claim that has not been
backed by health authorities.

The Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Yero, had
on Thursday warned residents of the state to be
cautious of the Ebola virus to avoid the spread of
the disease across the state.

http://www.punchng.com/city-metro/ebola-outbreak-rumour-causes-panic-in-kaduna-2/