Residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, were on Monday thrown into panic following the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in neighbouring Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The residents began panicking following the rumour that three Ebola patients had been secretly quarantined at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri in Yenagoa by the state Ministry of Health personnel.

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We reports that the Commissioner for Health and Head of the Ebola Virus Task Force, Ayebatonye Owei, has refuted the claims, describing it as the work of rumour mongers.

He said there was no iota of truth in the speculation, and assured members of the public that government had made adequate preparation to contain any outbreak of the disease in the state.

Owei further explained that the government has no reason to hide such information from the people as any outbreak of the dreaded disease is capable of spreading to all irrespective of status.

While assuring residents in the state who had been gripped by panic since last week, Owei categorically stated that there is no case of Ebola in Bayelsa State and described the speculations as purely false.

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He further revealed that the NDUTH, and the state government had already designated the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, as an isolated centre.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Monday September 1, 2014 , confirmed that 271 people suspected to have contracted the Ebola virus were under surveillance in Lagos and Port Harcourt, while the Federal Government mandated the National Orientation Agency (NOA), to commence a nationwide sensitisation programme in all communities as part of efforts to curb the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.