Christmas travel could allow the killer Ebola virus to spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda as officials warn the outbreak ‘moves closer every day’

Thursday, December 20, 2018
By Paul Martin

Approximately 200,000 extra people will cross borders over festive period
Health chiefs said people are crossing to visit family and buy food from markets
The death toll has reached a suspected 319 in the second worst outbreak

By VANESSA CHALMERS
DAILYMAIL.COM
20 December 2018

Christmas travel could trigger the Ebola outbreak to spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Uganda, experts fear.

Officials have warned that thousands of families will make the journey over the border to visit family and buy food during the festive period.

But the World Health Organization are concerned this heightens the risk that the killer Ebola virus will also make the same journey.

The ongoing outbreak in the DRC is the second biggest to ever be recorded, with figures showing 319 people in the African nation have died so far.

Countries bordering the DRC, including Uganda, are already on high alert, as health experts said the virus ‘moves closer every day’.

Andrew Bakainaga, a senior WHO official in Uganda, said: ‘Christmas is a particular concern because we know there is a lot of movement as people buy food and visit family.

‘We expect the number of people moving across the border might increase from around 300,000 to 500,000 per month.’

Figures have confirmed that 491 people have been struck down with Ebola in the DRC – with a further 51 currently undergoing testing.

The WHO data also revealed the confirmed death toll is 271, as the remaining 48 deaths continue to be thoroughly investigated.

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