Ebola not reason for Nigerian refused entry

Last Updated on Saturday, 16 August 2014, 15:45 by GxMedia

The management of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) is refuting claims on Facebook that a Nigerian man was refused entry to Guyana on Saturday because he was suspected of showing signs of the deadly Ebola virus.

A  senior CJIA official said immigration prevented the wheel-chair bound passenger from entering Guyana because he could not provide a Guyanese address to which he was going and he did not have sufficient cash to sustain himself. “At no time was Ebola mentioned. He was in a wheel-chair and he appeared to have a stroke,” said the official

The man, said to be in his late 30s, arrived from Panama on a COPA Airlines flight.

Officials of the Ministry of Health  have in recent days met with stakeholders at the CJIA as part of an awareness campaign about the virus.

Ebola has claimed hundreds of more than 1,000 persons in several African countries including Liberia and Nigeria.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness, with a case fatality rate of up to 90%.It is one of the world’s most virulent diseases.The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.