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Biosecurity Briefing
DRC Shuts Border with Uganda as Ebola Outbreak Persists By Kunal Rambhia, December 14, 2007 On December 13, 2007, the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported that Uganda’s neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has “closed the lake and land border with Uganda and shut down two markets as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of Ebola from its neighbor.”1 According to the report, the border shut-down has resulted in the “blocking of about 30 lorries carrying food and other supplies, and there are fears the prices of essential supplies could rise as a result.”1 According to an article in New Vision on December 12, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uganda is monitoring approximately 350,000 people who may have had contact with individuals infected with Ebola.2 The government is also working through various forms of media to educate people about the routes of transmission for Ebola, which is spread by contact with saliva, mucus, and blood and is not spread through aerosol transmission. A December 10 article in The Monitor notes that health officials have used radio broadcasts to disseminate public health information about Ebola symptoms and spread.3 According to a related article in New Vision, the Ugandan Red Cross is helping to monitor those people who may have had contact with Ebola patients. Red Cross officials are advocating for residents “to avoid unnecessary movement and gatherings.”4 New Vision reports that local hospitals and clinics are still not properly equipped with protective gear, electricity, and water and are feeling the strain of the outbreak.2 References
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