This information and image are brought to you by our friends at
Global Rescue.
The growing Ebola crisis prompted the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to issue a warning on July 31 against
non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the West African
countries experiencing the outbreak. Also on July 31, the government of Sierra
Leone declared a public health emergency to ensure a proper response plan was
being implemented to handle the outbreak of the Ebola virus. Additionally, the
Ghanaian government announced on July 31 that enhanced medical screening in the
form of body temperature scans will take place for those arriving at border
crossings as well as at Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in the capital,
Accra. Quarantine areas will also be set up at ACC and the country’s border
crossings.
Global Rescue is advising their members to closely adhere
to the World Health Organization guidelines. Infection by the Ebola virus is by contact with blood or
body fluids of an infected person or animal, or by contact with contaminated
objects:
-Contact with blood or bodily fluids of a person or
corpse infected with the Ebola virus.
-Contact with or handling of wild animals, alive or dead
or their raw or undercooked meat.
-Having sexual intercourse with a sick person or a person
recovering from Ebola virus disease (EVD) for at least 7 weeks.
-Having contact with any object, such as needles, that
has been contaminated with blood or bodily fluids.
-Symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache
and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and in some
cases, bleeding.
-Persons who come into direct contact with body fluids of
an infected person or animal are at risk.
-There is no licensed vaccine.
Practice careful hygiene and other preventive measures:
-In case of a passenger presenting with symptoms
compatible with EVD (fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat,
vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding) on board of an aircraft, the following measures
should be immediately considered, in accordance with operational procedures recommended
by the International Air Transport Association (IATA):
-Distancing of other passengers if possible from the
symptomatic passenger (re-seating); with the ill travelers preferably near a
toilet, for his/her exclusive use.
-Covering nose and mouth of the patient with a surgical
facemask (if tolerated).
-Limiting contacts to the passenger to the minimum
necessary. More specifically, only one or two (if ill passenger requires more
assistance) cabin crew should be taking care of the ill passenger and preferably
only the cabin crew that have already been in contact with that passenger.
-Hand washing with soap after any direct or indirect
contact with the passenger.
-Immediate notification of authorities at the destination
airport in accordance with procedures promulgated by the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO).
-Immediate isolation of passenger upon arrival.
-Avoid all contact with blood and body fluids of infected
people or animals.
-Do not handle items that may have come in contact with
an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
-Avoid contact with wild animals. Do not eat primate meat
(“bush meat”).
-Practice good hand washing.
-If you have stayed in the areas where Ebola cases have
been recently reported, seek medical attention if you feel sick (fever,
headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red
eyes).
-The incubation period of EVD varies from 2 to 21 days.
Person-to-person transmission by means of direct contact with infected persons
or their body fluids/secretions is considered the principal mode of
transmission. In a household study, secondary transmission took place only if
direct physical contact occurred. No transmission was reported without this
direct contact. Airborne transmission has not been documented during previous
EVD outbreaks.
The following link can be accessed for more information:
Call Global Rescue immediately at 617-459-4200 if you are
a traveling Global Rescue member and have questions, symptoms, or concerns
about your health.
Note-Diizche Safari Adventures is not licensed to practice
medicine or offer medical advice for the treatment of illness or injury. Please
seek immediate emergency medical services for the treatment of illness or
injury.
