The UAE on Saturday warned citizens and residents against travelling to three African countries amid growing concerns over the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the public should avoid trips to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan "unless absolutely necessary".
The ministry said the safety measure had been taken "in light of an evolving public health situation" as central Africa seeks to contain a rare strain of the virus for which there is no vaccination.
It called on Emiratis currently in those countries to "exercise the utmost caution" and follow "health and safety instructions" issued by local authorities.
It said they should register in the Twajudi service – which offers essential support to citizens abroad – and contact the ministry in case of emergencies.
The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention previously said it was prepared “to respond to any health developments or emerging situations, including those related to Ebola”.
The safety alert comes as infections and deaths stemming from the outbreak, already declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation, steadily rise.
The death rate is 30 to 50 per cent among those confirmed to have the virus, said Anais Legand from the WHO's high-threat pathogens team. “It's huge. It means that up to five out of 10 people are likely to die,” she said. Early care could help drive down the death rates, she said.
'Deeply alarming' outbreak
Leading medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres - also known as Doctors without Borders - said the spread of the virus in DR Congo was "deeply alarming".
MSF deputy director Dr Alan Gonzales said never before had so many cases of the virus being detected in such a short period.
He sounded the alarm as the number of infections in DR Congo alone crossed 1,000 - with at least 246 deaths recorded.
The first reported case involved a nurse in the DRC who developed symptoms on April 24. She died in Bunia, the capital of eastern DRC's Ituri province, Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba previously said.
The Bundibugyo strain has also spread to Uganda, where health officials reported nine confirmed cases on Friday.
The outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine, has alarmed experts because of how long it went undetected while spreading across a densely populated area.
Urgent efforts to contain the spread of the virus in DR Congo are also being hampered by continued conflict in the country.
According to the UN refugee agency, more than two million people are internally displaced in the affected provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where the provincial capital Goma remains under the control of rebel militia M23.
Bahrain and Jordan this month announced travel bans relating to the three central African countries owing to the Ebola virus outbreak.
Visitors from Uganda and DR Congo are banned for 30 days. Bahrain is also blocking travel from South Sudan and applying its ban to people who have visited any of the three countries in the past 30 days.
Jordanian citizens are exempt from their country's ban. Bahraini citizens arriving from the listed countries will be subject to approved health protocols.
What is Ebola virus?
Ebola is a relatively rare but deadly disease caused by a group of viruses. It primarily affects animals, typically fruit bats.
It can be transmitted to humans, with outbreaks often starting when people eat or handle infected animals.
It takes between two days and three weeks for symptoms to present, which are similar to the flu, with fever, headache and fatigue.
As the disease takes hold, it causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and can lead to organ failure. Some patients can also experience internal and external bleeding.
The virus spreads from one person to another by contact with infected bodily fluids or objects contaminated by those bodily fluids.
Why is Bundibugyo of such concern?
There are no approved vaccines or drugs for Bundibugyo ebolavirus, heightening fears over its potential wider spread.
Emergency use authorisation would be required to implement any experimental treatment. It is possible that a vaccine for another species of Ebola called Zaire may be considered for use.
Efforts are currently concentrating on rapid case detection, isolation, contact tracing, infection prevention and safe burials, as well as raising community awareness of the virus and its threat.
