Thailand on alert against Ebola virus until early 2015

BANGKOK, September 24 (TNA) - An expert has suggested that Thailand remain on alert against Ebola virus until early next year, after the World Health Organization (WHO) recently predicted that ongoing outbreaks of the deadly disease should continue for another 6-9 months and should not be limited to only Africa. Airing the suggestion on Tuesday, the Thai expert, Dr. Prasert Thongcharoen, Advisor to the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control, told reporters that Thailand should, therefore, maintain precautionary measures against Ebola until February 2015. Dr. Prasert, who worked for the Geneva-based WHO previously, affirmed that Thailand has intensified screening measures for passengers arriving at all international airports from Ebola-hit or Ebola-prone areas, including the main Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai Airports, along with quickly providing the public with necessary information on Ebola virus so that they can take good care of and prevent themselves from the fatal disease. According to a recent WHO statement, the number of Ebola patients in affected areas should exceed 500,000 if ongoing outbreaks of the disease continued for another 6-9 months. (TNA)