The Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique has alerted the Vietnamese peopleliving the south-eastern African country to Ebola, the deadly virusreaping panic across West Africa and likely spreading to other areas inthe continent.

The death toll from the Ebolaoutbreak on August 4 reached 887, according to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO). Most of the cases were in four western Africancountries of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Through online talks with the Vietnamese people residing in 10provinces in Mozambique, Ambassador Nguyen Van Trung urged the communityto keep themselves constantly updated with the latest developments ofthe outbreak and promptly take preventive measures.

Early this month, the Preventive Medicine Department of the VietnamMinistry of Public Health has issued a warning of Ebola, advising peopleto ensure personal hygiene and avoid direct or close contact withinfected patients and animals, particularly with their bodily fluids.

According to WHO, Ebola spreads in the communitythrough human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting fromdirect contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood,secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, andindirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids.

As a severe acute viral illness, Ebola is often characterised by thesudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sorethroat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidneyand liver function, and in some cases, both internal and externalbleeding.

No licensed vaccine for Ebola isavailable. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available forclinical use, according to WHO.- VNA