Nigeria records 4th case of Ebola fatalities in Lagos

Nigeria on Thursday recorded the fourth case of Ebola fatalities following the death of a nurse who came in contact with Liberian Patrick Sawyer, the index case of the virus in the West African country, local media reported.

The nurse died early Thursday at the Yaba Mainland General Hospital in Nigeria's most populous city of Lagos, according to local online newspaper Premium Times. An official statement confirming the development was yet to be issued.

However, relatives of the deceased arrived at the health facility Thursday afternoon to mourn their dead. They gathered in groups, making phone calls to other relatives and weeping inconsolably.

Jide Idris, commissioner for health in the southwestern Nigeria's state of Lagos, was also at the hospital. He left the health facility after a brief meeting with the staff, but declined to make official comment on the death of the nurse.

The nurse's death sums up the total number of Ebola fatalities in Nigeria to four. The first was the death of Sawyer on July 25.

Another nurse who had attended to the Liberian died on Aug. 5. Jatto Asihu Abdulqudir, a 36 years old staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was also killed by the Ebola virus on Tuesday, according to the regional bloc.

The Nigerian government had on Monday confirmed 10 cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) with 177 persons under surveillance.

Last Friday, Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan declared a national emergency, saying a sum of 1.9 billion naira (11.6 million U.S. dollars) will be released to prevent further spread of the Ebola Virus.

Ebola, which spreads through body fluids and has killed over 1000 people in West African countries, is believed to be very difficult to control.