The outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa is the biggest and most deadly in recorded history. It has spread quickly and even claimed the life of Sierra Leone’s top Ebola doctor. Fears of its spread have been raised in New York as a man showing symptoms arrived at JFK. The stories of death and the spread of the virus are being reported on a daily basis. The big questions from South Africa’s perspective is – are we safe, and what are we doing to prevent the virus from entering the country? Dr Ayo Olowolagba joined Alec Hogg in studio to talk about Ebola from South Africa’s perspective. -LF
ALEC HOGG: The Ebola virus has claimed scores of peoples’ lives on the continent already. Dr Ayo Olowolagba, the Head of Communicable Diseases for eThekwini Municipality is on the line. Ayo, from your name, I presume you are originally from West Africa.
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: Yes.
ALEC HOGG: Have you been keeping in close touch with what’s going on with Ebola there?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: Definitely, I have.
ALEC HOGG: And the feedback that you are receiving from professionals: is it aligned with the scare that we are seeing on global television?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: It is.
ALEC HOGG: Dr Ayo, we’ve had a discussion with South African Airways and they say they’re taking no particular precautions about the Ebola virus coming to South Africa. Is that a sensible approach?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: As far as I know, the precautionary measures are being taken at all of our ports of entry, whereby the temperature-measuring device is installed, and that is a reasonable approach. Of course, incoming flights from all West African countries are being closely monitored by the authorities in our ports of entries.
ALEC HOGG: And how is that done?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: The temperature-measuring mechanism is there. Anybody that passes through it and is running a temperature, will definitely be picked up. They will then isolate you, take officials at the port of entry, and they will be able to examine you, interview you, and put you in quarantine, if necessary.
ALEC HOGG: Is it foolproof?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: That’s the best that we can do for now, to detect people that are actively sick or showing symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever, including Ebola.
ALEC HOGG: And what are the symptoms?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: The symptoms are flu-like symptoms: headache, tiredness, sweating, diarrhoea, vomiting, and a rise in temperature. It is pretty similar to the flu.
ALEC HOGG: Just tell us a little more, if you would, about the Ebola virus’ ability to be combated.
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: You see, where there’s been an outbreak or you have a person that is sick, you have to be in very close contact with that person, to be infected. You might touch the sweat or any bodily fluid, and that will eventually get into your own body. Perhaps you don’t wash your hands very well, and if you touch your nose or any mucous membrane, it can easily get in. Of course, if you have skin that is not intact for example if you have a cut on your hand then it can enter, but you have to be in close contact or in touch with a sick person before you can get the Ebola virus. It is not airborne.
ALEC HOGG: But what about if you happen to be sitting next to someone who sneezes? You don’t know if they have the virus. Would that be sufficient to pass it on?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: Yes, of course, that is the possibility, a real possibility.
ALEC HOGG: We also saw from the wire services, from AFP, that one of the doctors who has been treating an Ebola patient, has contracted the virus. What might he have done wrong, for that to have happened?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: It is a breakage in infection control procedures, most likely. You see, if you have very strict infection control procedures by anybody that has been infected, whether it is a healthcare worker or their relative, you’re not going to have it. Of course, a breakage in infection prevention procedures can definitely be any close contact, including the healthcare workers.
ALEC HOGG: Doctor, out of the last Ebola breakout there were no problems in South Africa that we know of anyway. Are you confident that enough precautions have been taken to ensure that we are also not exposed to this?
DR AYO OLOWOLAGBA: We have been assured by the National Institute for Communicable Disease and the National Department of Health that every possible precautionary measure has been taken to make sure that our borders are secured. Anybody that is suspicious, is taken care of appropriately. We are all on very high alert and we are taking no chances. Any suspicion is taken seriously and accordingly taken care off.
ALEC HOGG: Thanks to Dr Ayo Olowolagba, who is the Head of Communicable Diseases for eThekwini Municipality.
