A health worker wearing protective equipment disinfects the isolation area for Ebola patients at the General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu in Mongbwalu,. AFP
The ministry said in a statement that travellers who must visit affected countries should strictly adhere to preventive guidelines issued by local health authorities and avoid direct contact with suspected cases or bodily fluids.
The ministry added that the preventive medicine and public health sector had raised preparedness at quarantine departments across all air, sea, and land entry points by intensifying health screening measures for arrivals from affected countries and monitoring travellers for 21 days.
It urged citizens to immediately seek medical care or contact the ministry’s hotline if symptoms such as sudden fever, severe fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding appear.
The ministry stressed that Ebola spreads only through direct contact with bodily fluids, including blood, saliva, and secretions, and is not transmitted through the air. It added that infected individuals are not contagious before symptoms emerge.
Egypt’s health authorities are continuing to coordinate with the WHO to monitor global epidemiological developments around the clock and update precautionary measures in line with any changes, the statement said.
The ministry also called on citizens not to circulate rumours or rely on unofficial information, urging the public to follow only statements issued by official authorities.
For inquiries, citizens can contact the health ministry by dialling their hotline:105.
Last week, the ministry confirmed that no Ebola cases have been detected in the country and that the risk of the virus spreading domestically remains low after authorities intensified monitoring following reports of infections in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The ministry said it had raised preparedness levels and activated preventive measures at all air, sea, and land entry points in coordination with the WHO and international health authorities as part of Egypt’s epidemiological surveillance and early warning system.
“The current risk assessments indicate that the likelihood of the disease reaching Egypt remains low,” Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar stated.
He said Ebola does not spread as easily as respiratory diseases, explaining that transmission requires direct and close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person after symptoms appear.
“This significantly limits the possibility of international spread when surveillance and infection-control measures are implemented in accordance with international standards,” Abdel-Ghaffar added.
According to WHO figures cited in recent international reports, the outbreak has caused hundreds of suspected cases and more than 100 deaths in the DRC, with confirmed infections also reported in neighbouring Uganda. Health officials have expressed concern over cases reaching densely populated urban areas and conflict-affected regions, complicating containment efforts.
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