Phnom Penh, May 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Cambodian government has urged the public to take precautionary measures against Ebola, although the kingdom has not yet detected any case of the virus so far, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Monday.
The statement came after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday declared an international health emergency as an Ebola outbreak had killed more than 80 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the virus had also spread to Uganda, causing infections and deaths.
"To date, Cambodia has not yet detected any cases of Ebola," the statement said. "The Ministry of Health has been closely monitoring the situation and has disseminated knowledge and guidance to emergency response teams, health workers, and the public through social media platforms," Xinhua news agency reported.
In addition, the ministry has prepared necessary measures for prevention and immediate response if any suspected cases occur in the Southeast Asian country, the statement added.
Ebola is the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that causes severe, often fatal illness in humans, the statement said, adding that the death rate is as high as 80 to 90 per cent if not treated promptly.
Meanwhile, around 350 suspected Ebola cases and 91 probable deaths have been recorded in the DRC amid the current outbreak, Health Minister Roger Kamba said Sunday.
"We have 59 patients who are actively being treated at the moment," he said in Bunia, capital of the eastern Ituri province, cited by local media on Monday.
He said that three new Ebola treatment sites are being set up in Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia -- the areas considered to be the main epicentres of the outbreak -- to expand the capacity of health facilities in response to the scale of the outbreak.
On Sunday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda an international public health emergency.
International spread has already been documented, with two confirmed cases reported in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday and Saturday following travel from the DRC. Both confirmed cases were admitted to intensive care units in Kampala, said the WHO on Sunday.
Neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, have stepped up surveillance, border screening and emergency preparedness measures.
–IANS
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Source: IANS
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