Gov't warns against Africa travel amidst Ebola virus fears
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Georgian authorities are calling on its citizens not to travel to West Africa due to the deadly Ebola outbreak, which is spreading faster than it can be contained.
The disease, for which there is no vaccine and no cure, has claimed 887 lives since the current outbreak began in February.
Georgia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Vakhtang Jaoshvili advised against travelling to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
"Unless it is absolutely necessary, please avoid travelling to West Africa at this time as measures to tackle the Ebola virus are not effective,” Jaoshvili said.
"Over fears of a disease outbreak, some of West African countries have temporarily closed schools,” he added.
In an effort to stop the disease spreading afield, visitors returning from affected countries were being screened at selected airports in western Europe and the United States.
The Ebola virus killed up to 90percent of those infected, reported the BBC based on data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
"It spreads by contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, organs - or contaminated environments. Patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment,” WTO said.
Initial flu-like symptoms can lead to external haemorrhaging from the eyes and gums, and internal bleeding that can lead to organ failure.
British Airways has suspended all flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia, as these countries continued to reported new cases. Eight suspected cases have been reported in the Nigerian capital of Lagos involving people who came into contact with the country's first victim, Patrick Sawyer.
The World Bank announced it would allocate $200 million USD in emergency assistance for West African countries that battled to contain the Ebola outbreak. The money will be distributed to the governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea as well as to the WTO.
WTO said no licensed vaccine for Ebola was currenty available. Several vaccines were being tested but none were available for clinical use.
From 1976, when it was first identified, through 2013, fewer than 1,000 people per year have been infected.
There is minimal fear the deadly Ebola virus will enter Georgia as the country has activated tough measures to screen potentially infected persons, says the country’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Georgia is continuing to implement prevention measures to be sure that every person who enters the country from the Ebola virus high risk countries in Africa is healthy, says National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) representative Khatuna Zakhashvili.
The Ebola disease has claimed more than 4,555 lives since the current outbreak began in February however there is a minimal chance the deadly disease will spread to Georgia, says the country’s health professionals.