Australia won't impose travel restrictions despite overseas Ebola spread

There has been more than 220 likely Ebola-related deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere) Australia will not impose border restrictions or quarantine on travellers from Ebola-affected countries. There are three new suspected cases in Italy and Brazil. Federal health minister Mark Butler said Australia was monitoring the outbreak very closely. Link copiedShareShare articleThe federal government will not impose border restrictions on travellers from Ebola-stricken countries despite new suspected cases in Italy and Brazil, as the worsening outbreak prompts other countries to take action to try to minimise the spread of the disease. Health minister Mark Butler said while suspected case numbers and deaths were "climbing very fast," at this stage Australia had no plans to impose travel restrictions or quarantine requirements from affected countries. "I'm taking very regular advice about this, this is a deeply concerning outbreak," Mr Butler said. As authorities around the world mobilise to stem the spread of the disease, there are many complicating factors at play — there is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain of Ebola virus, and it originated in a country where active conflict hampers infection control. The true reach of the Ebola outbreak in central Africa could be much wider than the official figures published by central African authorities, the World Health Organization is warning. Ebola is a group of severe infectious diseases which can cause an excessive inflammatory response and tissue damage. On average, about half of people with Ebola disease die. Ebola is caused by a species of orthoebolaviruses which were first identified in 1976, with three species causing large outbreaks. These are: Zaire ebolavirus (commonly known as Ebola virus), Sudan virus and the current outbreak, Bundibugyo virus, which originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Ebola is a zoonotic disease — meaning it spreads between animals and humans — in this case scientists believe fruit bats are involved in the spread, but it can also infect primates. Human contact can also occur through hunting and eating animal meat. Health authorities say fighting misinformation is a key part of slowing the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters: Gradel Muyisa Mumbere) Initial symptoms can include fever and a headache, but as the disease progresses it can cause bleeding from body parts like the nose and eyes. While there are vaccines and treatments for the Zaire ebolavirus, crucially there are none for Sudan virus or Bundibugyo virus. Paul Griffin, infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist at the University of Queensland, said while some products are in development, there are "additional challenges" with this latest outbreak. "Ebola vaccines are an incredibly difficult thing to develop, not in terms of the technology required, but because of the area affected and the fact that there just isn't a very large market or need in a global sense for a vaccine for this infection," Professor Griffin said. Ebola doesn't spread through the air like COVID. Instead, people can contract Ebola through contact with the blood, organs or other bodily fluids of an infected animal. It comes as health facilities in some of the worst-hit regions are attacked amid ongoing violence. The virus can then spread from person to person if broken skin or the mucous membranes in their nose, mouth or eyes come into contact with blood or body fluids — like urine, sweat and vomit — from an infected person, even after they have died. Health care workers have frequently been infected when treating patients with Ebola disease, while burial ceremonies that involve direct touching of the victim's body is another driver of transmission. Professor Griffin said while Ebola is very deadly, it does not spread as fast as viruses like COVID. "When a disease is more severe so that people who are infected are obviously unwell and not able to move around, it therefore makes it harder for something to spread around," he said. So far, much of the focus of the outbreak has been on Africa. Last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern in the DRC and Uganda, but said the outbreak did not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency. WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Reuters: Denis Balibouse) WHO reported more than 900 suspected cases and more than 220 likely Ebola-related deaths in the DRC, where persistent violence has hampered an effective public health response. There have also been a handful of cases in Uganda. Despite this, the DRC has just celebrated the recovery of four Ebola patients who are the first to be discharged in the current outbreak. The chief of the WHO said the survivors prove that the outbreak can be stopped, stressing that early detection was crucial. Health authorities in

Australia won't impose travel restrictions despite overseas Ebola spread

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Australia won't impose travel restrictions despite overseas Ebola spread

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