Written by: Badr Ahmed

Egyptian health authorities have confirmed that the country remains completely free of any Ebola infections, stressing that the level of risk to citizens remains low at the moment, despite the epidemiological developments in some African countries and the World Health Organization raising the level of warning about the spread of the disease in specific areas.

The Ministry of Health and Population explained in an official statement that it is continuously monitoring the global epidemiological situation in coordination with the World Health Organization, stressing that it has taken a series of precautionary and preventive measures to ensure the protection of citizens and prevent any potential cases from entering the country.

Egypt confirms it is free of Ebola and raises the level of preparedness at border crossings.

The ministry urged citizens to postpone travel to countries and regions experiencing outbreaks of the disease, except in cases of extreme necessity, in order to protect their safety.

She also stressed the importance of fully adhering to approved health guidelines in case of having to travel, avoiding direct contact with infected or suspected infected individuals, and not handling body fluids, which are the main means of transmission of infection.

The Egyptian move comes after the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency following the recording of new Ebola cases in a number of countries, and raised the risk level of an outbreak in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda from “high” to “very high”.

The Director-General of the organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the risk remains high at the regional level, while it remains low globally.

As part of strengthening preventive measures, the Ministry of Health raised the level of preparedness at all entry points into the country, including airports, ports and land crossings.

Quarantine teams have also intensified health screening and testing of arrivals from affected countries, with incoming travelers being monitored for up to 21 days, which is the known incubation period of the disease.

The ministry directed travelers to quickly go to the nearest health facility or contact the relevant authorities immediately if any possible symptoms appear, such as a sudden rise in temperature, severe general weakness, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhea, or cases of unexplained bleeding.

The ministry confirmed that the Ebola virus is not airborne, but rather transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. It also emphasized that an infected individual is not contagious before symptoms appear. The ministry concluded its statement by urging citizens not to be misled by rumors or unverified information, and to rely solely on official statements issued by the relevant authorities to monitor developments in the epidemic.