The Ghana Health Service has asked all regional, district and local health institutions to be on high alert as the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has been recorded in West African country, Guinea.

Guinea confirmed seven cases of the deadly virus on February 14, 2021, leading to the death of three persons.

“EVD is a severe, often fatal illness in humans caused by the Ebola virus. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. It can be transmitted through contact with body fluids of a person infected with the virus,” a letter the GHS forwarded to its regional health directorates noted.

GHS further directed all regions, districts and health facilities to initiate preparedness and response plans of EVD.

“All Regional and District Public Health Emergency Management Committees should include EVD on their agenda. Additionally, regions, districts, health facilities, port health units at all border posts particularly along the Western border and all landing beaches are to heighten surveillance for EVD using the standard case definition. They are also requested to remind all Ghanaians and residents in Ghana on the need to protect themselves from the disease,” .

How to prevent Ebola according to the GHS:

• Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of people who show any of the Ebola symptoms
• Practice hand hygiene: frequent handwashing with soap and under running water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids
• Avoid contact with dead bodies, including participating in funeral or burial rituals of suspected or confirmed Ebola cases
• Avoid contact with animals or with raw or undercooked meat
• Do not handle bushmeat
• Seek medical care immediately if one develops a fever (body temperature 38°C or above) or other symptoms such as severe headache, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising

During the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016, there were 28 000 cases, including 11,000 deaths.

The outbreak started in Guinea and then moved across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.