Pinoys in Hong Kong told to avoid traveling to Ebola-affected areas

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has urged Filipinos there to avoid traveling to areas with Ebola cases following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

The Philippine consulate general issued this reminder in an advisory posted on its Facebook accounts on Tuesday as Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) released its response to the Ebola outbreak.

“According to the CHP, there are no locally confirmed cases of Ebola in Hong Kong as of this time, but it urges the public not to travel to affected regions unless necessary,” the advisory said.

The CHP also recommended observing the following steps when traveling abroad to help prevent the spread of Ebola:

• Wash hands with liquid soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before touching the eyes, nose or mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who have a fever or feel unwell, and avoid contact with patients’ blood or body fluids, as well as items that may have been exposed to such fluids
• Avoid contact with animals, especially known animal reservoirs such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys forest antelope or porcupines
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before consumption.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Ebola outbreaks in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

READ: EXPLAINER: What is Ebola disease?

The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus first identified in the DRC, where Ebola was initially discovered in 1976.

While vaccines and treatments exist for Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire strain, no approved vaccine or therapy currently exists for Bundibugyo or Sudan virus disease.

Still, the WHO said early supportive care – including hydration, treatment of symptoms, and medical monitoring – can improve survival and may save lives.

For its part, the Department of Health (DOH) said the Bureau of Quarantine and the Epidemiology Bureau is on heightened surveillance, especially for people coming from affected areas.

There are currently no cases of Ebola in the Philippines, the DOH said.

“Wala po, wala po. Hindi po talaga (None, none at all. There is really no reason),” DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Albert Domingo said when asked if there is any reason for Filipinos to panic. — JMA, GMA News