authorities in southeast Nigeria as a precaution amid growing concern
over Ebola, an official said on Friday.
The man's relatives repatriated his remains over the weekend for
burial in the Oyi area of Anambra state.
There was no immediate evidence that Ebola caused his death, but
panic broke out in Oyi when locals learned that he had died in Liberia,
one of three countries ravaged by the deadliest known outbreak of the
virus, an Anambra government spokesperson Emeka Ozumba, told AFP.
"The government decided to keep the corpse away from relations and
the public until we are sure of the cause of death since the body was
flown in from Liberia," Ozumba said.
The length of the man's stay in Liberia or the precise day he died
were not immediately known.
"The step is precautionary," Ozumba said, adding that tests would be
run on the body before it would be released.
Scores of people are thought to have contracted Ebola while burying
relatives who died of the virus.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has said the outbreak in her
country, where 156 people have died, was "nearing a catastrophe".
The only confirmed Ebola death in Nigeria was that of Liberian
government official Patrick Sawyer, who contracted the virus from his
sister before travelling to Lagos on 20 July.
He was visibly sick upon arrival at the airport, placed under quarantine
and died on 25 July.
Global concern has soared in recent days over the outbreak which has
infected more than 1 300 people and killed 729 since the start of the
year, in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with one death recorded in
Nigeria.
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