Japan to Release Patients' Travel Routes in Case of Ebola Outbreak

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's health ministry compiled on Wednesday draft guidelines on the release of information about Ebola patients, including the routes they took in or outside the country, in the event the first domestic outbreak of the deadly viral disease occurs. The ministry also drew up a basic policy on the announcements of information related to the possible first outbreaks of serious infectious diseases in the nation. The basic policy including the Ebola-related draft guidelines was approved at the day's meeting of a panel of experts. The ministry plans to formalize it as early as in April after holding consultations with other government bodies including the transport ministry. The basic policy calls for actively providing the public with information about outbreaks of serious infectious diseases, including on places where patients are believed to have contracted the diseases, records of their activities during the periods when transmission to other people is possible and contacts the patients have had with anyone else. Meanwhile, the release of patients' personal information will be limited. Such information would be released when infections are confirmed. However, the announcement would be moved up in case measures to cope with the situation need to be taken swiftly due to, for example, failure to confirm people who may have had contacts with patients. If the first domestic Ebola outbreak occurs, the government will release information on the prefecture where the patient lives, the age group and sex of the sufferer, the estimated location of infection, and the date and time when symptoms started to appear, as well as the patient's travel route abroad and his or her use of transportation systems in Japan. Information including the patient's nationality and occupation will not be released in principle. The name of the hospital where the patient stays will also be kept secret, while that of the prefecture where the hospital is located will be subject to disclosure. The health ministry also plans to draw up guidelines for the release of information related to such diseases as Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, and a new strain of influenza. END