Emergency Cases

Ebola breaks out in West Africa


There have been outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Western African region. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) advises travelers to avoid unnecessary travel to the affected area including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The CHP states that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of July 27, there have been 1,323 EVD cases including 729 deaths reported in the Western African region. Until now, there’s been no cases reported in Hong Kong.

The CHP has provided guidelines for health professional on infection control for EVD in healthcare settings. The CHP will issue letters to doctors and hospitals to remind them the importance of infection control measures.

There is currently no vaccine for EVD. The DH appealed to the public to observe good personal and environmental hygiene; wash hands with soap frequently; avoid close contact with feverish or ill persons, and avoid contact with blood or bodily fluids of patients, including items which may have come in contact with an infected person's blood or bodily fluids; avoid contact with animals; and cook food thoroughly before consumption.

The public may visit the CHP's EVD page http://www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/34199.html for more information.

Source: Department of Health (2 Aug 2014)