Bahamas: Case of Ebola dismissed as bogus by Minister of Health

Bahamas Health Minister Perry Gomez has dismissed as “bogus” a report that a confirmed case of the Ebola virus, which has infected thousands of people in West Africa, has been confirmed in the Bahamas after an European national died there last week.

“I would like to make it completely clear that this posting is completely untrue. However, hospital officials did indicate that late Sunday night the US Embassy in The Bahamas responded to a call to rescue a very ill person on a freighter passing through Bahamian waters,” Gomez said in a statement.

He said the unidentified patient was a 34-year old male from the Ukraine working on the freighter which was enroute to New Orleans from the Congo.

“The patient was later transported to the capital, Nassau and taken to a Hospital. He was placed in a single room in isolation. All the necessary precautions were taken by all staff that attended the patient. Full infection control precautions were put in place and followed by all who attended the patient.”

Gomez said that the diagnosis of septic shock caused by an infection was made and that treatment included intravenous fluids, antibiotics and pressor agents to raise blood pressure.

Gomez said further blood studies done at Doctors Hospital confirmed a diagnosis of Malaria.

“Despite best efforts by our team, the patient died on 16th September 2014. Blood has also been sent to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) for further analysis,” he added. -(CMC)