Nigeria confirms death of Ebola virus victim

A Liberian national, reported to have imported the deadly Ebola Virus Disease to Nigeria, has died in Lagos, the local government said on Friday.
The victim, collapsing on Sunday after flying in Lagos, died on Thursday night at a private hospital. Jide Idris, Lagos state commissioner of health, announced his death at a news conference in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos.
His remains have been properly buried, and the site properly sanitized to prevent any possible spread of the virus, he said. Meanwhile, the government has obtained the manifest of the passengers the victim had traveled with as part of the investigation into the case, the official added.
According to Idris, the state government had initiated a discussion with the authorities in charge of the borders to avert cross-border transmission. "Nigeria Center for Disease Control ( NCDC) has stepped in to volunteer. The UN Children Fund (UNICEF) has stepped in too."
The state government has put precautionary measures in place to check in the further spread of the deadly disease, said Idris, urging local residents to always wash their hands at all times and when necessary.
The victim, who arrived in Lagos on Sunday, died less than 12 hours after the Lagos State Government publicly alerted its residents of the suspected case of the deadly virus.
Ebola virus has claimed about 660 lives in three West African countries -- Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization.