Ebola Outbreak Closes Borders, Suspends Flights

On Sunday, Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik Air, announced they were suspending all services to Liberia and Sierra Leone until further notice. In a statement, Head of Corporate Communications Ola Adebanji urged the government to ban all inbound flights from countries affected by Ebola. Adebanji defended the airline’s decision to suspend flights as one to protect “the well-being of Nigerians.”

Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the largest outbreak of the disease ever recorded, Ebola has claimed over 670 lives since its identification earlier this year. The virus is believed to have originated in south-eastern Guinea as early as January, but the first cases weren’t confirmed until March. It quickly spread to neighboring countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone. On Friday, the Nigerian government confirmed its first case of the virus — Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian man who had flown from Monrovia to Lagos via Lome, Togo. He died Friday.

Sawyer, who served as a consultant for the Liberian Ministry of Finance, arrived in Nigeria’s largest city on Tuesday. He was immediately detained by heath authorities who suspected he was carrying the virus. Authorities are currently monitoring 59 people who came in contact with Sawyer, both while he was at the airport and the hospital.  The hospital Sawyer was treated at was quarantined Monday.

“The private hospital was demobilized (evacuated) and the primary source of infection eliminated. The decontamination process in all the affected areas has commenced,” said Lagos state health commissioner, Jide Idris.

Following the news of Sawyer’s diagnosis, Togo went on high alert. There have been no reported cases of Ebola in the country.

Although there have been no reported cases of the virus in Nigeria since Sawyer’s passing, international airports in the country are setting up holding rooms in case another victim is identified upon arrival. Health authorities are screening all passengers arriving from foreign countries. Similar checkpoints have been set up at airports in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The fact Sawyer was able to board an international flight raises health concerns outside of Africa. Doctors warn that the heath screens might not be as effective as some hope. The disease, which spreads through bodily fluids and kills more than 70 percent of those infected by it, is difficult to identify in its early stages and can have an incubation period of up to 21 days.

Screening centers set up at airports provide no guarantees, according to Dr. Lance Plyer. Plyer, who leads Ebola medical efforts in Liberia for the Samaritan’s Purse aid organization, says the checkpoints will only slow the spread of the disease. “Unfortunately the initial signs of Ebola imitate other diseases, like malaria or typhoid.”

Security analysts are equally unconvinced of the screening centers’ usefulness. Yan St. Pierre, CEO of Berlin-based security consulting firm MOSECON, said, “In Nigeria’s case, the security set-up is currently bad, so I doubt it will help or have the minimum effectiveness they are hoping for.”

As part of an effort to contain the virus, the Liberian government has closed most of the country’s borders. Major entry points will remain open, according to President Ellen Johnson Sireleaf.  During a task for meeting Sunday, Sireleaf announced, “preventive and testing centres will be established, and stringent preventive measures to be announced will be scrupulously adhered to.” The inspecting and testing of all outgoing and incoming passengers will be conducted by Liberia’s airport authority.

[Photo: iStock]