Zimbabwe quarantines 98 over Ebola fears, 46 discharged – Star Africa

Zimbabwean health officials have over the past few weeks quarantined at least 98 people who had travelled to Ebola-hit West Africa, APA learns here Tuesday.Harare City Council health director Prosper Chonzi told the private NewsDay that 84 of the individuals placed under surveillance had arrived to Nigeria and that 46 of them had already been discharged after testing negative following the 21-day surveillance period under which the disease is expected to manifest.

He said the surveillance and quarantine programmes formed the backbone of the country’s anti-Ebola drive.

“If one is coming from West Africa, they are screened first at the ports of entry and if they do not have any signs and symptoms, we do not put them under quarantine, but we put them under surveillance for 21 days,” Chonzi said.

Zimbabwe’s Health Minister David Parirenyatwa last week rubbishes rumours that the Ebola virus had entered the southern African country.

The disease, which spreads through contact with infected body fluids, has wreaked havoc in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal and Liberia where it has claimed over 2,600 lives.