As Ebola cases rise in central Africa and hantavirus continues to circulate in South America, Mexican health authorities have activated a travel alert and assured the public that the country’s epidemiological surveillance system is prepared to detect and isolate any potential cases.
While no outbreaks have been reported in Mexico, Health Minister David Kershenobich said the federal government is “prepared and vigilant” in case an imported case arrives. The alert specifically targets travelers coming from Ebola-affected regions, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where a new outbreak — the 17th in the country’s history — has caused at least 131 suspected deaths.
“Our system has the capacity to detect the virus if necessary,” Kershenobich said. He noted that medical guidelines have been distributed to health workers, and specialized protective equipment is available to isolate symptomatic patients.
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