Image to the left from NBCNews.com
Ebola. It’s all over the news and the thought of contracting it is absolutely terrifying.
But it’s important to keep things in perspective, and educate yourself on the disease and its geographical concentration, because it’s not as rampant as the media portrays.
Yes, Ebola is a horrifying disease that kills 60% of those infected by it. However, it is fairly difficult to contract and currently, the outbreak is concentrated in only a few countries, including Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. These countries are thousands upon thousands of miles away from central, eastern, and southern African countries. So, for travelers visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, or any of the eastern islands off the coast of Africa, there should be virtually no concern over contracting Ebola.
It’s also important to point out that contracting the Ebola virus is not as simple as inhaling someone else’s sneeze. According to an article on Fox News by the Associated Press, “The virus only spreads through direct contact with the blood or fluids of an infected person, according to the CDC. It can also be spread through objects, such as needles, that have been contaminated with infected fluids. No airborne transmission has been documented.”
The governments of the countries that have been experiencing an Ebola outbreak, as well as the Center for Disease Control and the US government, are taking a series of actions to monitor and eradicate the disease. Travel to countries outside of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone is proceeding as usual. As the situation changes, we will be sure to inform you of the updates and will stay up to date on the state of the outbreak.
And, as always, protect yourself from any type of disease when traveling by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your eyes and nose, and taking care of your body.
