Botswana closes border on suspected Ebola victims

Neighbouring Botswana has taken the drastic step to bar people who have been to countries affected by the deadly Ebola virus from entering its borders as fears about the disease spreading into southern Africa continue to grow.

The world's deadliest virus has killed more than 1 000 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria, in the last five months.

Notices at the ports of entry into the neighbouring country indicate that anyone who was been to the four countries would not be allowed to enter into Botswana until 30 days has elapsed from their last visit to the affected countries.

Scores of travelers, including Botswana nationals were yesterday stranded at Plumtree Border post after being denied entry.

They told Bulawayo24 news that authorities in that country were being a nuisance.

"They are just being overzealous because the other countries we have been too have set up posts at their borders to screen visitors and test them for the virus before letting them through.

"I am a business man in Botswana and I am not being allowed to return simple because I was in Guinea recently. Sometimes people have to think before enacting stupid laws," said the man who declined to be named.

Ebola has a 90 percent of people who contract Ebola are killed by the disease. The virus causes internal and external bleeding and damages the immune system and organs. The virus may be contracted through blood or bodily fluids of the infected.

Doctors said that the symptoms of the virus start two to three weeks after contracting the virus and they include high fever, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea which may lead to decreased functioning of liver and kidneys and eventual death.