Untamed Travelling is aware of the concerns surrounding the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. We would like to reassure you somewhat; to date, there have been no cases of Ebola in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia) and southern Africa (Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique) and not in northern Africa (Morocco).
The World Health Organization (WHO) states: “The risk of a tourist or businessman/woman becoming infected with the Ebola virus while visiting the affected areas and developing the disease upon return is extremely low, even if the trip involved visiting the local areas where primary cases have been reported. Infection requires direct contact with blood, secretion, organs or other bodily fluids from infected living or dead persons or animals, all of which are unlikely exposures for the average traveler.”
The WHO is also taking tougher measures and has called on countries affected by Ebola to closely monitor people’s behaviour when leaving international airports, seaports and major border crossings to prevent the virus from spreading. Furthermore, almost all African authorities have decided to (temporarily) suspend the entry of travellers coming or travelling through the affected West African countries.
In addition, we would like to draw your attention to the immense area of Africa in relation to other countries. This is to visualize the vast distances between the ebola-affected areas and our destinations. Above, you can see a map showing where Ebola is currently playing.
Travel to the lodges we work with in East and Southern Africa is currently free of risk of Ebola.
Note: Last weekend, a patient was diagnosed with Ebola in Senegal. This patient was from Guinea. He was immediately quarantined at the local hospital in Dakar to prevent further expansion.
We’ll keep you posted of any changes! If you have any questions, please contact us at any time. For up-to-date information, please also consult the WHO website.
