Source: Zim on high Ebola alert – DailyNews Live
Farayi Machamire 25 May 2017
HARARE – Zimbabwe has ratcheted up its safeguards against Ebola, with the
country requiring travellers mainly passing through the Mozambique border
and other frontiers to undergo enhanced screening for the deadly virus.
This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed new cases
of Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Zimbabwe’s Health ministry yesterday announced restrictions on passengers
whose trips originated in DRC with immediate effect.
In a memo to stakeholders yesterday, the Manicaland provincial medical
directorate said all immigrants will be screened and frisked as they get
into Zimbabwe.
“You are therefore urged to be alert; there is need for a combined effort
at this point of entry in order to safeguard public health. Notify any
suspected cases to health officials.
“Ebola is a highly infectious and fatal viral disease which is easily
spread through contact with blood and body secretions of the infected
people and animals,” said the directorate.
The directorate said it had received an alert through WHO, which announced
that nine suspected cases and three deaths of persons with Ebola virus
disease were reported in the Likati health zone, north of the DRC.
It was not immediately clear at the time of going to print how many people
enter Zimbabwe on a daily basis at Forbes Border Post.
It is, however, not the first time Zimbabwe has had to prepare for the
deadly virus.
This is the eighth Ebola outbreak in the DRC since 1976.
The last outbreak occurred in 2014, with 66 cases and 49 deaths.
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