Delta Says No Outbreak Of Ebola Anywhere In State, Says Patient Died From Diabetes

BEVERLY HILLS, September 05, (THEWILL) –  The Delta State Government has refuted reports that a patient suffering from the deadly Ebola disease died at the Eku Specialist Hospital, Eku, Ethiope East Local Government Area.

In a statement Friday by Chike Ogeah, the State's Commissioner for Information, the government however admitted the death of a female patient at the facility but said she was diabetic and died from diabetes.

The government further said the patient, who was an outpatient at the hospital had earlier ingested a large quantity of salt when people were falsely led to believe that drinking salt solutions would stave off Ebola Virus.

The full text of the statement reads:
'The attention of the Delta State Government has been drawn to a story making the rounds that a patient purportedly suffering from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) died at Eku Specialist Hospital, Eku on Friday, September 4, 2014.

This story is completely false. The true situation is as follows:

A diabetic woman who had earlier been undergoing treatment at Eku Specialist Hospital returned from a visit to Port Harcourt and reported at the hospital where she unfortunately died.

As a patient with a history of diabetes at the hospital, her status was well known. However, it emerged that she was a victim of unusual salt intake as a result of the large quantity of salt she consumed when people were falsely led to believe that drinking salt solutions would stave off Ebola Virus Disease.

At no time did the patient manifest any Ebola symptom nor was she known to have had any contact with an EVD patient.

The Delta State Government hereby assures all residents that there is no Ebola patient in the state. All stories about an EVD patient or death in any hospital in Delta State should be disregarded as mere rumours from uninformed people.

We hereby declare emphatically that there is no Ebola outbreak in Delta State. All residents should go about their normal duties without any fear. However, we urge everybody to remain vigilant.'