South Sudan: No confirmed Ebola case

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - South Sudan is free from Ebola after reports of a suspected case early this week which has caused panic among citizens of the African country, the deputy information minister said Friday.

“Health Minister Dr Riek Gai Kok has announced in today's cabinet meeting that there is no Ebola case in South Sudan so citizens should not panic,'' Lily Albino Akol said.

“There is no confirmed Ebola case in the country. Early this week there was a scare whereby a patient has shown symptoms related to Ebola, including bleeding, and people thought that it might be Ebola,'' she said.

''However, the preliminary results from the laboratory tests on the Ebola case in Juba have proven that the patient does not have the virus,” Akol told journalists after the cabinet meeting.

Akol said that the health minister had announced South Sudan is Ebola free and they will continue monitoring the bordering areas.

After a 40-year-old woman was reported to have shown Ebola-like symptoms, she was quarantined after the police informed the Ministry of Health of her condition on Wednesday.

The woman, who was moved to a special care unit in Juba, was immediately taken for laboratory tests, where the results were declared negative.

According to Dr. Riek Gai, more samples have been sent to Uganda for further verification.

“In case of any abnormal illness, they should inform a nearby health authority or even the police, or call the hotline that we have established,” Dr Gai said.

South Sudan has established four observatory centers across the country, and deployed health personnel along the borders and in various states.