USCG’s Office of Emergency Management and Disaster Response published Marine Safety Information Bulletin informing the shipping industry about the Ebola virus in Tanzania and precaution measures.
On September 10, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization were made aware of unofficial reports regarding the unexplained death of a person two days earlier from probable Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
Key characteristics of someone affected from Ebola are:
Fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. In addition, skin rash, red eyes, and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients.
Vessel owners and operators should be extra cautious on persons whose travel originated in Tanzania, as they could potentially have been exposed to EVD.
Ways of infection:
Travellers could be infected by contact with blood or body fluids from someone who is sick or has died from Ebola, sick wildlife, or meat from an infected animal.
Health care providers caring for Ebola patients and family and friends in close contact with an ill person are at the highest risk because they may come into contact with blood or body fluids.
The USCG recommends to:
Monitor your health for 21 days if you were in an area with an Ebola outbreak, especially if you were in contact with blood or body fluids, items that have come in contact with blood or body fluids, animals or raw meat, or hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated.
Steps to be taken in case of an Ebola-infected mariner:
- Vessel representatives are required to report sick or deceased crew or passengers within the last 15 days to the CDC under 42 CFR 71.21. Regional CDC quarantine station points of contact can be found on CDC’s website.
- The Coast Guard will review all Notices of Arrival to determine if a vessel has visited a country impacted by Ebola virus outbreak within its last five ports of call.
- Vessel masters should inform any Coast Guard boarding teams of any ill crewmembers onboard.
- Local industry stakeholders, in partnership with their Coast Guard Captain of the Port, should review and be familiar with section 5310 “Procedures for Vessel Quarantine and Isolation,” and Section 5320 “Procedures for security segregation of Vessels” in their Area Maritime Security Plan.
Concluding, in July 2019, Congo suffered from the Ebola virus as an outbreak was declared with Standard Club informing of ways to prevent the virus.
