The management of the University Abuja Teaching Hospital has warned its workers to maintain high sense alertness over possible outbreak of Marburg virus and an upsurge in COVID-19 cases.

A statement issued by the institution’s deputy director Sani Suleiman advised the health workers in the hospital to take strict precautions and maintain a hygienic environment.

“Consequently, the attention of all Head of Departments and members of staff is hereby drawn to ensure adequate surveillance and hygiene by observing all protocols of prevention,” a part of the circular seen by Peoples Gazette read.

“More details will be sent on our various social media platforms on the OUTBREAK in due course. Attached is the alerts.”

Mr Suleiman however clarified that the statement was issued to sensitise hospitals to take protective measures on the global outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus.

“I wrote that memo from one committee’s report to sensitise the people in the hospital but I think by Monday, we will probably take measures to explain further for people to understand. So it is not like there is an outbreak in Nigeria or in the FCT,” Mr Suleiman said, according to  Premium Times reports. 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has assured Nigerians that there is no outbreak of the Marburg virus disease in Nigeria 

“There is currently NO outbreak of #MarburgVirusDisease in Nigeria,” the public health agency posted on its Twitter page. 

“However, measures such as heightened surveillance, diagnosis & rapid response teams are in place to prevent & mitigate an outbreak of the disease in-country.”

In July, the virus was detected in Ghana, which was the second country the virus was detected in West Africa. It was firstly discovered in Guinea in 2021.

Marburg is a highly infectious disease that causes haemorrhagic fever. It is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people. The virus is not an airborne disease but spreads through direct body contact with humans, fruit bats and infected surfaces.