Ebola Update: Ivory Coast Closes Land Borders W.H.O Says Not Best Option

Ivory Coast has become the latest African
country to close its land borders to prevent the
spread of the deadly Ebola virus on to its

territory.
Days after banning flights from three countries,
it said land borders with Liberia and Guinea
were being shut.
Gabon, Senegal, Cameroon and South Africa
have taken similar measures. The World Health
Organization says such restrictions are
counterproductive.
So far 1,427 people have died – more than in
any other Ebola outbreak.
The number of cases now stands at 2,615. The
speed and extent of the Ebola outbreak in West
Africa are “unprecedented”, according to the
WHO.
The WHO says travel bans do not work, and that
what is needed is more doctors and officials to
help trace those infected with Ebola, as well as
more mobile laboratories.
On Friday, the WHO’s Dr Keiji Fukuda expressed
concern over so-called “shadow zones”, areas
which cannot be reached and where patients
are not being detected.
The organisation confirmed 142 new cases of
the disease had been reported since 19 August,
as well as 77 deaths.
Speaking at a news conference in the Liberian
capital Monrovia, Dr Fukuda said combating the
disease would take “several months of hard
work”.
“We haven’t seen an Ebola outbreak covering
towns, rural areas so quickly and over such a
wide area,” he added.
Ebola has no known cure but some affected
people have recovered after being given an
experimental drug , ZMapp. However, supplies
are now exhausted.
On Thursday, two US doctors were discharged
from hospital after being given the drug, while
three Liberian medics are also recovering well.