By Onche Odeh, Seyi Taiwo-Oguntuase, Yaqoub Popoola, Daniel Abia, Gbenga Faturoti, Patience Ogbodo-Iwuagwu, and Chibuzor Emejor
Lagos, Ado Ekiti, Port Harcourt, Osogbo, Bauchi and Abuja — -Experts say virus can be transmitted through semen -Stop spreading panic message, Ekiti tells doctors
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has warned that infected men who have recovered from the killer Ebola virus disease (EVD) can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to seven weeks after the recovery.
Director General of the Institute, Innocent Ujah, gave the warning on Thursday at a one-day sensitisation programme on the EVD at the Lagos State University (LASU).
Ujah, whose presentation was titled, 'Clinical features and management of Ebola virus Disease', stressed that men who have recovered from the illness should abstain from sexual intercourse till about eighth to ninth week of total recovery.
"Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to seven weeks after recovery from illness.
"Any man that has recovered from the Ebola disease should wait for eight to nine weeks after recovery before having sexual intercourse, in order not to transmit the virus to another person," he counselled.
Ujah, a gynaecologist, said NIMR was aware that the virus is coming and it has started preparing for it, adding that the institute is preparing to upgrade its facilities to take care of the disease and other deadly ones.
He reiterated that there is no definite therapy or vaccine against Ebola, noting that Nigerians have never paid sufficient attention to infectious diseases like this.
Ujah added that this is the first time Nigerians have responded to emergency.
Read More: allAfrica.com