Zaire: Health authorities in Zaire province will reactivate epidemiological surveillance posts on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to prevent potential Ebola cases from entering the country. Speaking to ANGOP, the provincial public health supervisor, Andrade Lunzayilawo Kianzuaku, said that considerable amounts of biosafety equipment have been made available and will begin to be distributed to border municipalities in the region in the coming days.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the measure includes 20 health technicians in border areas with the DRC, a project that will involve personnel from the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and the National Police. In the first phase, epidemiological surveillance posts will be reactivated in the border municipalities of Cuimba (Minga and Malele), Luvo (Kanga Nguvu), and N³qui. In addition to screening people entering the country, they will also conduct disinfection work on vehicles traveling from Luanda to Kinshasa (DRC) and vice versa.
The source urged residents living in border areas with the neighboring country to redouble their vigilance and, at the same time, urged them to observe the preventive measures imposed by health authorities. Among the preventive measures, the supervisor mentioned regular handwashing with soap and water, the use of masks, maintaining a distance of at least two meters between people, and disinfecting hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
"People living in villages bordering the DRC should be more vigilant when receiving visitors and report any spots or bumps on their bodies to health authorities," he warned. This is the 16th Ebola outbreak declared in the DRC since the virus was first detected in 1976, and the first in Kasai province since 2008. Kasai province (DRC) has been ravaged by Ebola since August of this year, with more than 30 cases and 15 deaths reported.
Ebola is a highly lethal disease characterized by bleeding in various parts of the body. The virus can infect both humans and other primates, such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. The disease is transmitted through contact with fluids, tissues, and secretions expelled by the patient. Four municipalities in Zaire province, namely Luvo, Cuimba, Soyo, and N³qui, share a 310-kilometer border with the DRC.
