Reports that the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada, Abuja, is experiencing an outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease have been refuted by the administration of the hospital.
The Public Relations Officer, Sani Suleiman, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Sunday.
Suleiman was reacting to social media reports on the memo issued by the hospital to alert the staff of the hospital on the MVD and the surge in COVID-19 in the country.
The memo titled ‘Outbreak of Marburg disease and COVID-19 virus infection’ sighted by newsmen read in part, “The management of the Abuja University Teaching Hospital wishes to notify the entire hospital community of an outbreak of Marburg disease and an upsurge in COVID-19 infection.
“Consequently, the attention of all Heads of Departments, and members of staff is hereby drawn to ensure adequate surveillance and hygiene by observing all protocols of prevention.
“More details will be sent on our various social media platforms on the outbreaks in due course.”
Suleiman, however, said the memo was misconstrued.
He said, “Unfortunately, that memo was misconstrued, it’s meant to be an internal memo within the hospital community for our staff to be conscious incase there is an outbreak or incase patients are coming to the hospital for treatment.
“They didn’t post the precautionary measures, rather they just posted the memo.
“So, it was misconstrued by one of the staff. Infact, the hard copy has not even gone out, it was meant for the hospital community to be conscious of the disease. You know some people are still negligent of the COVID-19 and if the hospital personnel are not taking precautionary measures, it will spread.
“We are just sensitising them to be conscious. So it’s not like there’s an outbreak. We haven’t recorded any case of Marburg.
“People should disregard it and we are going to follow up with a correction.”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has said that Nigeria is at moderate risk of an outbreak of the Marburg virus disease.
The NCDC said this following an outbreak of the disease in Ghana confirmed by the World Health Organisation on July 17.
The centre said it was on high alert given the proximity of Ghana to Nigeria as well as the World Health Organisation alert.