UAE is free from Ebola, says MoH

Ministry says preventive precautionary measures adopted by health institutions are in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations.

The UAE is free from Ebola and the country is fully-prepared to deal with any case, assured the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Sunday.

“The UAE is free from Ebola disease which has been reported in a number of African countries,” said Dr Amin Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for Public Health Policies and Licensing at the MoH.

In a statement to state news agency, Wam, the ministry said that preventive precautionary measures adopted by health institutions and other competent authorities here, including the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), are in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations.

It added that the ministry is implementing all resolutions at the last WHO meeting with the Ebola-afflicted countries to prevent the entry of the disease into the UAE, and that the procedures taken so far are sufficient to safeguard the country from the deadly virus.

Dr Al Amiri said the MoH is in contact with the WHO to keep up-to-date with the latest developments.

Don’t panic

Doctors here are urging residents not to panic as the EBV is not an airborne disease and is not easily transmissible.

“There is no need for UAE residents to panic. Ebola virus spreads only by close contact with the body fluids like saliva, vomitus, blood or urine of a patient. Unlike other viruses like Sars, Ebola does not spread from a patient to others through air or droplets… (So) being in public places with a patient will not increase the risk of contracting the disease,” said Dr Asha Suresh Prakash, internal medicine specialist at NMC Specialty Hospital.

The UAE also has proper infrastructure to diagnose and contain the disease.

“The UAE has a robust healthcare system which is very proactive unlike that in Africa, hence, UAE residents have no reason to panic,” she stressed.

According to Dr Subbian Krishnamurthy, pathologist and chairman of infection control committee at LLH Hospital, importing the disease here is “highly unlikely” since people travelling out of the affected countries in West Africa will now have to be screened beforehand.

Hand hygiene

To prevent infection and spread, doctors have been advised to practice good hand hygiene and wear protective gear while in close contact with a patient or while carrying out laboratory tests on infected specimen.

Dr Prakash also advised cancelling trips to any of these affected countries — Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone — where nearly a thousand people have died due to EBV.

According to her, the present strain of Ebola outbreak is called Zaire Ebola virus and has the least survival rate compared to other strains.

Dr Krishnamurthy said that incubation period for EBV is “two to 21 days as per the WHO information, but symptoms usually appear eight to 12 days after infection”.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com