Public health officials have issued an urgent warning to British doctors to watch for signs of the Ebola virus arriving in the UK, after an infected man was allowed to fly from the affected countries to a major international travel hub.Patrick Sawyer’s death in Lagos, Nigeria has sparked a reaction around the world as fears grow that the deadly virus could infect populations beyond West Africa.
The disease, which can be fatal in as many as 90 per cent of cases, causes both internal and external bleeding and has no cure, has now killed more than 670 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
It has been the subject of a major campaign from the UN’s World Health Organisation – and questions remain as to how Mr Sawyer, whose sister had just died from Ebola and who had started presenting symptoms, was allowed to board multiple international flights.
Vomiting and suffering from diahhorea, he flew from Liberia, had a stopover in Ghana, changed planes in Togo and then died in Nigeria – and experts say he could have passed on the disease to anyone sat near him or who used the same toilet on one of the planes.
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Dr Brian McCloskey, director of global health at Public Health England, said the Government agency was carefully monitoring the Ebola situation and that it had started taking action to protect the UK population.
“[It is] the largest outbreak of this disease to date,” Dr McCloskey said. “And it's clear the outbreak is not under control.
Dr McCloskey said the case of Mr Sawyer was a particular “cause for concern”, adding: “We have alerted UK medical practitioners about the situation in West Africa and requested they remain vigilant for unexplained illness in those who have visited the affected area.”
The danger to UK travellers going out to West Africa is thought to low, and Dr McCloskey said health officials were engaging in “preparatory thinking rather than alarm”.
Professor David Heymann, head of the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House, London and the chairman of Public Health England, was critical that an Ebola victim had been allowed to fly out of the effected zone.
He told The Independent: “There has been a lack of international cooperation as to the recommendations of what needs to be done [to stop the disease spreading] – and much greater collaboration is needed.
“But at the same time its false to say that border controls can stop infections from spreading – you can be not showing symptoms or even travel when you have symptoms and keep them hidden, as has happened with doctors in the past.”
.......................http://www.independent.co.uk
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