Hong Kong has stepped up precautions over the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic “a public health emergency of international concern.”
The WHO said on Sunday that there had been 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in the DRC as of Saturday, in addition to a handful of apparent cases in Uganda.
The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo virus disease, and there is currently no vaccine.
There are no confirmed cases in Hong Kong, but the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has enacted a series of precautionary measures, according to a government press release on Sunday.
Although there are no direct flights from the affected areas, “the CHP will strengthen health screening for passengers arriving on flights from Africa at the airport… Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for isolation and treatment.”
It will also bolster public awareness and health education efforts, and provide airlines, doctors and hospitals with updated information.
The CHP advises against visiting affected regions.
Highly lethal
Ebola is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals.
The virus is highly lethal and causes haemorrhagic fever, systemic inflammation, and multi-organ failure. The case fatality rates from past outbreaks range from 25 to 90 per cent, according to the WHO – the average is 50 per cent.
Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is preparing a large-scale response to the outbreak, the humanitarian charity said in a press release on Sunday.
“The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short timeframe, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across the border, is extremely concerning,” said MSF Emergency Programme Manager Trish Newport. “In Ituri, many people already struggle to access healthcare and live with ongoing insecurity, making rapid action critical to prevent the outbreak from escalating further.”
The NGO is mobilising more teams comprising medical, logistical, and support staff experienced in responding to viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, it said.
