Chonburi public-health officials dispensed some unusual advice to hotel operators and retailers as part of Pattaya’s effort to educate residents about the Ebola Virus, including avoiding uninspected imported wild animals and eating dead bats.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome presided over the Sept. 8 meeting to talk about Ebola prevention.
Dr. Vuthakrai Saksurkan of the Chonburi Public Health office reviewed the current situation of the epidemic in Africa, which has killed more than 1,800 people and infected more than 4,000, principally in Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria.
Dr. Vuthakrai Saksurkan of the Chonburi Public Health office advises hoteliers and retailers on how to prevent the Ebola Virus.
Thailand has not had a reported case of Ebola, although national health officials have stationed doctors at international airports and are using infra-red cameras to detect people arriving with fevers from high-risk areas. Two people have been isolated and tested for Ebola, but blood tests on both showed they did not have the disease.
Ebola can take up to 21 days to manifest, with early symptoms similar to the flu. Later symptoms include rash, liver and kidney damage, excessive bleeding, and diarrhea.
Among the advice given to hotel operators and retailers was to avoid contact with imported animals that have not had health checks, and to avoid consumption of animals from unknown sources, specifically monkeys and bats.
For those traveling to affected areas of Africa, they are advised to avoid contact with wild animals, any contact with bodily fluids from Ebola patients and to quickly report to doctors if symptoms appear.
