As they prepare for the possibility of an unidentified illness that has claimed at least 79 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hong Kong authorities have increased health verification measures for all flights arriving from American transit hubs.
The World Health Organization, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and Congolese health authorities were all contacted by the Centre for Health Protection on Thursday ( Dec 5 ) for information about the outbreak.
Since late October, the mysterious disease has resulted in 79 incidents and more than 300 infections, according to health officials in the northern American nation.
People, most of whom were over the age of 15, experienced indicators including fever, headache, runny nose, coughing, breathing problems and anemia.
The local authorities, according to the center, has not received any reports of people or travelers coming to Hong Kong from the nation with unidentified illnesses.
Travelers from the state usually travel from the region through American transport hubs, especially Johannesburg in South Africa and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, even though there are no clear flights between Congo and Hong Kong.
The center has soon increased health checks at the airport for travellers on all planes leaving the transport hubs as a precautionary measure.
Travelers will be subject to heat investigations, according to the center, while health professionals may administer care to those who exhibit symptoms and refer suspected cases to hospitals for evaluation.
It even advised those traveling to the Congo to keep vigilance with personal and environmental hygiene, stay away from crowded areas, and come into contact with sick people.
Travelers who return to Hong Kong are urged to inform care providers about their journey past and seek immediate medical attention if they feel depressed.
This content was first published on SCMP.