Er is momenteel een uitbraak van ebola gemeld in de Democratische Republiek Congo, ook wel Congo D.R. genoemd. De besmettingen worden vooral gemeld in het oosten van het land, waaronder de provincies Ituri en North Kivu. Ook in Uganda zijn gevallen vastgesteld bij personen die kort daarvoor vanuit Congo D.R. naar Uganda waren gereisd.

For travellers to Congo D.R. and Uganda, it is important to keep a close eye on the current situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides up-to-date travel advice per country through Netherlands Worldwide. Therefore, always check the most recent travel advice before departure.

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a serious infectious disease caused by the Ebola virus. Infection can occur through direct contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person. Contact with infected materials, deceased patients or certain wild animals can also pose a risk.

The disease often starts with symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and sore throat. Later, more serious symptoms may develop. As Ebola is a serious disease, it is important to seek medical advice immediately in case of symptoms after staying in a high-risk area.

Advice for travellers

Are you travelling to an area where Ebola is present? Then you can reduce your risk of infection by taking the following measures:

• Avoid contact with people who have or may have Ebola.
• Avoid contact with body fluids of sick or deceased persons.
• Avoid funeral rites involving contact with a deceased Ebola patient.
• Do not touch materials that may be contaminated, such as syringes, clothing, sheets or eating utensils.
• Avoid contact with live or dead wild animals, such as monkeys, bats and forest antelopes.
• Do not eat raw meat or so-called bush meat.
• Avoid unprotected sex with someone recently cured of Ebola for up to 6 months after recovery.
• Avoid hospitals and medical posts except in case of a medical emergency.
• Do not visit anyone in a hospital in an area where Ebola is present.

Always check the current travel advice

The situation can change quickly. Are you travelling to Congo D.R., Uganda or a surrounding area soon? Then always check the current travel advice via Netherlands Worldwide before departure. There you will find the latest security information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Do you have health questions about your trip or want to know what precautions are important for your destination? Then make an appointment at Vaccination Point for personalised travel advice.

Sources: LCR, WHO, Netherlands Worldwide