Fresh Ebola deaths threaten Nigeria, Congo DR Friendly

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More deaths have been recorded from the deadly disease Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo who
play the Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly in 10 days’ time.

45 new cases have been established in the Central African country, the World Health Organization (WHO)
said on Friday.

According to WHO, 14 have been confirmed dead, 21 are probable, and 10 are suspected, to raise fears that a public health emergency of international concern could be declared.

The recent development could affect the Nigeria-Congo friendly despite repeated assurances by the
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the match would go on.

DR Congo, who announced their squad this week including 11 players from their local league , are expected in Port Harcourt, the capital of Nigeria’s Rivers State aboard a chartered flight.

In 2014, the dreaded Ebola virus spread to Nigeria through a Liberian,Patrick Sawyer on a visit.  Eight people died, including Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevo now late who attended to  Sawyer. Her intervention helped to  prevent the disease from further spreading.

In an interview with BBC on Friday, WHO deputy director-general for emergency response, Peter Salama,
said management facilities had been set up in the capital of Congo DR.

He said the disease must have spread after people attended the funeral of an Ebola victim in Bikoro, south of Mbandaka. On May 8, Ebola outbreak was declared in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo which killed 17 people.