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UK revises travel advisory to Tanzania, says no Ebola evidence

Friday November 01 2019
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A woman and child wait to receive the Ebola vaccination in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, August 5, 2019. The United Kingdom has revised a travel advisory to Tanzania, says no Ebola evidence. PHOTO | REUTERS

By KIPLAGAT EDWIN

The UK government on Friday revised its travel advisory that had asked British nationals living in and those travelling to Tanzania to exercise caution.

“Following a probable Ebola-related death in September; as of October 31, 2019, Public Health England believes there is no evidence of ongoing active transmission of Ebola in Tanzania,” the UK Foreign Office (FCO) said in a statement.

The UK government had last month issued the alert citing “probable Ebola-related death.”

“A person has died in Tanzania in September 2019. It appears probable that this is an Ebola-related death. The WHO continues to investigate and has issued a statement,” FCO said on October 1.

The Tanzanian government has maintained that no Ebola case has been reported in the country.

In September, it summoned the WHO representative in the country over the agency’s statement that it had refused to share information on suspected Ebola cases.

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About 75,000 British nationals visit Tanzania every year, according to UK government figures.

Ebola has claimed more than 2,000 lives and there have been over 3,000 confirmed infections in DR Congo alone since the outbreak on August 1, 2018, according to WHO figures.

Tanzania borders DR Congo to the west.

The United States has also issued a travel advisory on travel to Tanzania citing ‘’probable Ebola.’’

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