• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Argentina has decided to block the arrival of three merchant ships from Africa due to the Ebola outbreak in that region, with its epicenter in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a war is also taking place between the government, rebel groups, and local militias.
The impediment to the passage of these vessels came from Argentina's State Intelligence Secretariat (Side), restricting ships sailing under the flags of Greece and Liberia. These vessels and their destination port were not identified by the South American country's authorities.
"The State Intelligence Secretariat (Side) reports that, given the Ebola outbreak in Africa, and within the framework of coordinated work with organizations that are part of the National Intelligence Community and the Ministry of Health, vessels from risk areas bound for Argentina were detected. The identification of these movements, based on information collected by SIDE, allowed for the timely adoption of necessary preventive measures to safeguard the health of the population," the entity stated in a communiqué.
"Thanks to the process of transformation and professionalization of the National Intelligence System, the corresponding alerts and protocols were activated early, allowing for the anticipation and prevention of potential public health risks," it added.
The outbreak is in a rapid expansion phase, involving the Bundibuyo strain which is spreading quickly in the eastern territory, especially in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.
So far, there are over 1,000 confirmed cases and 223 deaths in 11 days since the start of the outbreak, which is now also spreading to Uganda and South Sudan. The health crisis is exacerbated by the impossibility of reaching the area due to armed conflicts and attacks on medical centers, as well as the lack of vaccines for the strain.
Source: portalportuario
