Angola widens border closure with DRC over Ebola

Thu Jan 8, 2009 10:29am GMT



LUANDA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Angola has increased border restrictions with the Democratic Republic of Congo where an outbreak of the highly contagious and deadly Ebola virus is believed to have infected 40 people and killed 13.
State-owned daily Jornal de Angola said on Thursday migratory movements between part of Angola's eastern province of Moxico and the DRC were suspended, days after authorities closed the border of its Lunda Norte province with the DRC.
The outbreak of the Ebola virus is believed to have taken place in the DRC's Western Kasai province in November. The viral haemorrhagic fever is one the deadliest in the world, killing 50 to 90 percent of its victims.
Angolan Health Minister Jose Van-Dunem said on Monday no signs of the Ebola virus had been found in Angola.
He urged the military and police to be on alert for any possible signs of the Ebola virus in the eastern and northern provinces of Moxico, Malange, Uige, Lunda Sul and Lunda Norte because of their proximity with the DRC.
The World Health Organisation representative in Angola Diosdado Nsue-Micawg, told Reuters he feared the Ebola virus may have come from dead monkeys in the forests of the DRC.