News / Health
Deadly Ebola virus, Zimbabwe in red alert
28 Jul 2014 at 08:28hrs | Views
ZIMBABWE is on high alert for the deadly Ebola virus which is wreaking havoc in West Africa as all entry points are prepared to deal with the haemorrhagic fever, a government official has said.
Scores of people have died due to the virus in recent weeks in West Africa with reports that it could easily spread to other countries.
Health and Child Care deputy minister Paul Chimedza told the Senate last week that all borders posts were on high alert in response to a question by Matobo senator Sithembile Mlotshwa (MDC-T) on Zimbabwe's preparedness.
"In the ministry, there is emergency preparedness all the time, especially when we have a situation of a deadly disease such as Ebola happening in any part of the country, continent or even the world," he said, "The possibility of it coming to this country is also very high because it just takes one person who is infected to enter through our borders and go to Mbare and the whole country is on fire.
"That is how bad Ebola is. So the minute we heard that there was Ebola in West Africa, we reactivated the team and we reactivated our points of entry."
The virus, which kills up to 90% of those infected, spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.
Patients have a better chance of survival if they receive treatment early.
Humans can be infected by others if they come into contact with body fluids from an infected person.
Symptoms of Ebola typically include weakness, fever, aches, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain.
Additional symptoms include rash, red eyes, chest pain, throat soreness, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding (including internal).
Chimedza said health workers were on the lookout for anyone with Ebola symptoms.
"There are always health personnel there to check for the signs and symptoms and to be alert to people coming from areas that have Ebola," he said.
"Also, there are areas that we said if a patient comes and they have any symptoms or signs that there might be Ebola, they are quarantined and when they are separated, we have prepared places where we take them.
"We are adequately prepared and professionals are adequately prepared to deal with it before it spreads to the rest of the country and causes havoc to our population.
"So we are prepared and we are not going to wait until a single Zimbabwean dies of Ebola."
The deadly virus was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976.
Scores of people have died due to the virus in recent weeks in West Africa with reports that it could easily spread to other countries.
Health and Child Care deputy minister Paul Chimedza told the Senate last week that all borders posts were on high alert in response to a question by Matobo senator Sithembile Mlotshwa (MDC-T) on Zimbabwe's preparedness.
"In the ministry, there is emergency preparedness all the time, especially when we have a situation of a deadly disease such as Ebola happening in any part of the country, continent or even the world," he said, "The possibility of it coming to this country is also very high because it just takes one person who is infected to enter through our borders and go to Mbare and the whole country is on fire.
"That is how bad Ebola is. So the minute we heard that there was Ebola in West Africa, we reactivated the team and we reactivated our points of entry."
The virus, which kills up to 90% of those infected, spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.
Patients have a better chance of survival if they receive treatment early.
Humans can be infected by others if they come into contact with body fluids from an infected person.
Symptoms of Ebola typically include weakness, fever, aches, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain.
Additional symptoms include rash, red eyes, chest pain, throat soreness, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding (including internal).
Chimedza said health workers were on the lookout for anyone with Ebola symptoms.
"There are always health personnel there to check for the signs and symptoms and to be alert to people coming from areas that have Ebola," he said.
"Also, there are areas that we said if a patient comes and they have any symptoms or signs that there might be Ebola, they are quarantined and when they are separated, we have prepared places where we take them.
"We are adequately prepared and professionals are adequately prepared to deal with it before it spreads to the rest of the country and causes havoc to our population.
"So we are prepared and we are not going to wait until a single Zimbabwean dies of Ebola."
The deadly virus was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976.
Source - Southern Eye
