The Acting Governor of Western Equatoria State Sapana Abuyi has ordered for the closure of the border between Western Equatoria State and Democratic Republic of Congo following reports of Ebola disease outbreak in Dungu and Isiro Provinces in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) staffs attend an Ebola patient inside an isolation ward in Bundibugyo December 12, 2007 in this picture released by MSF.(Reuters/Claude Mahoudeau/MSF/Handout)
By Joseph NashionYAMBIO, 20 August 2012 [Gurtong] - Reports indicate that at least one person has died after an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The governor issued an order yesterday barring travellers from moving between the two countries in a preventive move aimed at preventing the spread of the deadly disease.
“Any person presently at the boarder should refrain from direct body contacts and hand-shaking with anybody from across the border in DRC,” says the order signed by the Acting Governor.
The security agents have been instructed not to allow the movements of people as the market places at the border remain closed.
All state institutions, departments and travellers between the two countries have been urged to strictly adhere to the order.
“All health personnel in the state are ordered to be on high alert and monitor the situation,” says Abuyi.
The South Sudan government had in July issued an Ebola alert following the disease outbreak in Uganda.
South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo share a lot in terms of population movements and trade. As a result people moving from one place to other could spread the disease.
A total of 36 cases with 16 deaths have been recorded in Uganda since July. Two of them are health workers.
Ebola is a highly infectious disease, which presents with high grade fever and bleeding tendencies. It is very infectious, kills in a short time but can easily be prevented.
The signs and symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, measles‐like rash, red eyes and sometimes with bleeding from body openings.
Ebola can be spread through direct physical contact with body fluids like saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine, vaginal secretions and sweat from an infected person and soiled linen used by a patient.
It can also be spread through using skin piercing instruments that have been used by an infected person.
A person can get it by getting in touch with a dead body of a person who has died of the disease.
There is neither cure nor treatment, but some infected people have recovered from the disease. http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/ArticleView/mid/519/articleId/7574/South-Sudan-Border-Closed-Following-Ebola-Outbreak-in-DRC.aspx
