Guinea Bissau raises alert levels over Ebola scare

Guinea Bissau health authorities have raised alert and surveillance levels along the border following the reappearance of new Ebola cases in neighbouring Guinea, an official source said.

In a statement issued Thursday in Bissau, the president of the National Institute for Public Health Placido Cardoso said preventive measures had been reinforced and awareness campaign had been launched targeting communities living along the border.

"Although the end of Ebola virus in neighbouring countries was declared, we believe we need to continue observing personal hygiene measures and avoid large meetings," Cardoso said.

He said the country was not only concerned with the Ebola virus, but also the Zika virus, due to its closeness to two of the affected countries: Cape Verde and Brazil. Endit