Guinea tracks Ebola contacts

CONAKRY: Guinea is tracking down people who potentially had contact with Ebola patients and will rush vaccines to the affected area as soon as possible following at least three deaths from the disease, Health Minister Remy Lamah said yesterday.

Lamah said that unlike during the deadliest known outbreak, which tore through West Africa in 201316, Guinea had the means to halt the resurgence of the virus.

The Ebola virus causes severe bleeding and organ failure and is spread through contact with body fluids.

‘‘In 2013, it took us months to understand that we were dealing with an Ebola epidemic, while this time, in less than four days, we were able to do analysis and have the results. Our medical teams are trained and seasoned. We have the means to quickly overcome this disease,’’ Lamah said.

The World Health

Organisation yesterday warned the outbreaks in Guinea and Congo were a regional risk.

The WHO representative in Guinea, Georges KiZerbo, said he had requested authorisation to obtain as many vaccines doses as possible.

He said there were constraints in getting the vaccines to Guinea quickly, but authorities were working on the issues so the vaccines could be available by next week for a targeted vaccination campaign. — Reuters