Sars hits Africa
2003-05-11 12:02
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Lagos - The death of an Asian man, who had travelled from Taiwan to Nigeria and had been showing symptoms of the Sars virus, has become first suspected Sars death in Africa.
The government of the west African country have reported his death to the World Health Organisation, said Health Minister Alphonsus Nwosu on Saturday on State television.
"It is a suspected case. It has not yet been confirmed," said Nwosu.
The Asian man was showing symptoms of the highly infectious pneumonia-like virus and died later in a hospital.
WHO experts have dreaded the spread of the disease on the African continent as a lack of health facilities, a large population and poor living conditions would lead to the rapid spread of the virus.
With a population of about 120 million, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country. - Sapa-DPA
- SAPA