One of the scientists who discovered Ebola, Professor Peter Piot, has warned that China is under threat from the deadly virus because of the huge number of Chinese workers in Africa.
“In Africa, there are many Chinese working there. So that could be a risk for China in general, and I assume that one day [an outbreak of Ebola in China] will happen,” he said during a two-day symposium in Hong Kong, as quoted by the South China Morning Post.
The professor, who is director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, also indicated that infection control measures at hospitals in mainland China were not always “up to standard,” which put public health at great risk.
So far, a total of 10,141 suspected cases have been reported and the death toll from Ebola stands at 4,922. Piot estimated that the epidemic would last another six to 12 months and claim thousands more lives in the months ahead.
Piot suggested that the best way to bring Ebola under control was the use of “safe and cheap” blood tests that took as little as 10 minutes. He also addressed the importance of training people to spot at-risk air passengers before they boarded, adding that the voluntary surveillance measures at the Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong were not effective enough.
Expert says China is under Ebola threat
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