I returned from West Africa one month before the first case of the deadly Ebola Virus was reported. Whew! It has now became a huge problem. A total of 2,615 infections and 1,427 deaths (at the time this post was written) have been reported as a result of the Ebola virus outbreak. Sadly, this number is probably far from accurate since families have taken to hiding members they suspect are ill. Also, a clinic was broken into and contaminated items were carried off by the vandals, including bloody sheets, mattresses, and more. The government is still searching for these people and these items. So who knows how many will become infected as a result of this action? Ivory Coast announced it was closing its border with Guinea and Liberia. Gabon, Senegal, South Africa and Cameroon have all imposed border restrictions. Sierra Leone has passed a new law imposing jail time for anyone caught hiding an Ebola patient.
Due to an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the west African nations of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, the Centers for Disease Control has issued Health Travel Warnings for those three countries advising against nonessential travel and has provided guidance to reduce the potential for spread of EVD. A CDC Level 2 Travel Alert has been issued for Nigeria recommending that travelers practice enhanced precautions. The Department of State has issued Travel Warnings for Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
Additionally, these countries have travel warnings for other reasons:
For more on travel warnings: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings.html
For more on Ebola warnings: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/Ebola.html
For more from Centers for Disease Control (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
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