Nollywood star Jim Iyke has sparked an online frenzy after fleeing Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia over Ebola outbreak.

Jim Iyke, who was in Monrovia for business, had revealed via Instagram that he is scared of the deadly virus and that although his business plans were not concluded, he had to leave.

“Monrovia, unfinished biz (business); Leavin(g) tonite(tonight). Nt (Not) ashamed to admit. Tis ish (issue) scares the Jesus outta me. #Ebola!!!!” he said.

The message yesterday attracted massive outcry by his social media followers, who demanded that the country’s health authorities should quarantine him.

Meanwhile, barely six days after Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer died in a private hospital in Lagos, one of the personnel who helped him out of the aircraft on his arrival in the former federal capital has shown signs of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The latest victim, who is not yet been named, was among the 59 persons the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government registered to have had contact with the late Sawyer immediately on his arrival in Nigeria on Sunday, July 20.

The Lagos State Government however denied that any fresh case of Ebola has been found in the state or any part of the country. According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Yewande Adeshina, none of the persons said to have come in contact with Sawyer has manifested unusual body temperature or any other symptom of the dreaded virus.

She explained that all the 59 persons, who had close contact with the deceased Liberian in Nigeria were hale and hearty and had not exhibited any unusual symptoms.

On his part, the Commissioner for Information, Lateef Ibirogba, has advised the citizenry to be wary of the activities of fraudsters who are making spurious claims about their ability to provide cure for Ebola, urging them to always contact health providers to report unusual feelings noticed.

He cautioned people to desist from sending panicky text messages round about the Ebola disease that could heighten tension and create anxiety.

Ibirogba advised those who want to make cheap money from the case to desist from their strange claims of cure for the disease or risk the wrath of the law, as only medical solutions are known to be appropriate for the disease.

He reminded residents of the state to make use of the emergency phone numbers 08023169485, 08033086660, 08033065303, 08055281442 and 08055329229 provided to contact health authorities in case anyone with observed symptoms of Ebola disease is noticed.

He also advised residents to observe the highest level of personal environmental hygiene, adding that they should visit hospitals or primary health centres nearest to them to report strange feelings noticed.

Early symptoms of Ebola include fever, headache, chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, headache and joint pains, while later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears nose, and the mouth as well as the rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood. It could progress to coma, shock and death.

•Pieced together from reports in Vanguard and Daily Sun. Photo shows Nollywood star Jim Iyke.

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