The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made this known in Ikeja, explained that the number consisted of 44 health care workers and 15 others at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The commissioner said the government had not been able to establish the number of contacts the Liberian had on the plane that flew him into Nigeria because the management of Asky Airline had not provided it with the manifest.
He however said that out of the 55 known contacts, 20 had been screened and released.
Idris said, "So far, 59 contacts have been registered, consisting 44 hospital contacts (38 health care workers and six laboratory staff) and 15 airport contacts. The 15 airport contacts comprise three ECOWAS staff-driver, Liaison, and Protocol Officer, Nigerian Ambassador to Monrovia, two nursing staff and five airport passenger handlers.
The commissioner, who advised Nigerians not to panic, said nobody in the country had been infected with the virus.
He added that the state and the federal governments were working to ensure that the virus did not infect anybody in the country.
