Haj pilgrims warned on Ebola

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians going on Haj pilgrimage have been warned to take all necessary precautions against being infected with the Ebola Virus Disease, especially now with some researchers claiming it is also an airborne disease.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the pilgrims must try to keep away from people showing symptoms of the disease as it spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids.
He advised pilgrims to take safety measures such as wearing hand gloves, mask or even wearing clothes that will protect them.
"Adhering to personal hygiene is also important, especially washing the hands as often as possible," he said, adding that there have been many cases of the disease in Western Africa because people failed to follow basic principles of health.
Speaking to reporters after distributing goodie bags and "duit raya" (raya cash) on behalf of Putera MIC to patients at the paediatric ward of Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Dr Subramaniam's advice comes following a report that a man had died of suspected Ebola virus disease in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabian Health Ministry website revealed that the man died yesterday after he was admitted to the intensive care unit late on Monday when he exhibited symptoms of viral haemorrhagic fever following a business trip to Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone and Liberia are countries where the disease is worst hit.
The Saudi Arabian Health Ministry had announced a decision to bar pilgrims from Ebola-affected countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea from participating in the "umrah" or Haj this year.
Meanwhile some 100 over port operators were believed to have gathered in Port Klang to be briefed on the do's and don'ts on Ebola prevention.
The Klang Port Authority have put in place all measures to ensure stringent medical screening is done on all those disembarking from vessels.
At another function, deputy health minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya advised Malaysians to avoid visiting West African countries for the time being as the World Health Organisation (WHO) report stated that 1,603 cases, including 887 fatalities, were reported in four countries in West Africa as of Aug 4.