Authorities refute speculation of polio outbreak

chika ebuzor

October 14, 2017 12:06 PM

The FCT Health and Human Services Secretary, Ms Amanda Bam, had earlier said that polio compatible affected a 10-year-old girl in Kwali.

Dr Mathew Ashikeni, the Acting Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board, on Friday refuted speculation of polio outbreak in the territory.

Ashikeni told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that there was a reported case of polio compatible in Abuja not polio virus.

He explained that the reported case was recorded at Rugan Baraje village in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

According to him, the polio compatible has same symptoms of polio virus but the one reported was not.

He disclosed that a team of experts were deployed to the area and there were series of tests that confirmed no result indicated polio virus.

The acting scribe said that in spite that his board had carried out a mop up immunisation to vaccinate all the children in the area.

The Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Ms Amanda Bam, had earlier told NAN that the polio compatible affected a 10-year-old girl in Kwali.

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Bam explained that the record showed that the girl had received immunisation in the past in the area.

She said that the incident occurred in the last two weeks and the department of public health had taken the affected child to Gwagwalada teaching hospital to undergo physiotherapy.

According to her, what seems like polio affected only one leg of the victim.

The scribe therefore advised parents to ensure routine immunisation of their children or wards to prevent polio virus and other infectious diseases.

chika ebuzor