The United Kingdom has issued a travel advisory for its citizens travelling to Kenya citing the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The citizens were also asked to carry certified copies of their passports because of a government crackdown on illegal foreigners.
“Carry a certified copy of your passport if applying for a work permit while in Kenya,” the UK said in the updated advice released on Tuesday.
Ebola is believed to have killed 97 people in DRC since the latest outbreak started in July, and infected another 45. Related: the UK lifts travel advisory against Eastleigh The International Rescue Committee says the situation might get out of hand if not managed well. World Health Organization said on Thursday that Uganda will vaccinate against Ebola should it spread from DRC.
In a statement, the WHO said it was assisting Uganda, which has remained clear of Ebola so far this year, to set up the “ring vaccination” strategy being used in Congo.
Under the strategy, every contact of an Ebola case including health workers and family members is traced and vaccinated.
Uganda has identified spaces to store the vaccine and installed equipment to ensure it can be transported nationwide. The neighbouring country has had five outbreaks since 2000, the latest in 2017. The contagious disease causes hemorrhagic fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Ebola killed 11,300 in West Africa in 2013-2016, though treatment during that outbreak was less advanced.
The experimental vaccine, manufactured by Merck, was first deployed to the Congo this year. It is designed to target the Zaire strain of the virus, which was confirmed to have caused Congo’s current outbreak.
The last time the UK updated the travel warning to its citizens living in and those who plan to visit Kenya was on February 13. This was at the height of the tension following the disputed 2017 polls.
It warned that continued political tensions in the country could lead to further demonstrations and possible clashes. They say national parks are safe but terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in other parts of the country.
Source: World Health Organization