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Liberian soldiers in a medical truck as they patrol streets in Monrovia today to prevent panic over the Ebola epidemic. AP/Press Association Images

Two Americans infected with Ebola being evacuated back to US

Meanwhile, West African states announce an ‘isolation zone’ sealing off the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak.

TWO AMERICAN CITIZENS who are infected by the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa are to be evacuated back to the US for care, the State Department said today.

“The safety and security of US citizens is our paramount concern,” said the department’s deputy spokesperson Marie Harf.

Harf said that the patients will be taken to medical facilities with “appropriate isolation and treatment capabilities”. Their evacuation is expected within the coming days and will be carried out by the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“CDC protocols and equipment are used for these kinds of medical evacuations so that they are carried out safely, thereby protecting the patient and the American public, as has been done with similar medical evacuations in the past,” Harf said in today’s statement.

Samaritan’s Purse, a US charity, has said that two of its staff members, doctor Kent Brantly and another American missionary worker, Nancy Writebol, were stricken with the virus in Liberia.

Both are in “serious” condition, aid groups said Friday. SIM USA, the Christian group for which Writebol worked, said she was in “serious but stable” condition.

“We are so heartened that Nancy is in stable condition and that plans are underway to bring her back to the US,” said Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA.

Emory University Hospital, in southern Georgia, has also said that it is preparing to receive “a patient with Ebola virus infection to its special facility containment unit within the next several days.”

‘Isolation zone’

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone announced Friday an isolation zone sealing off the epicentre of the world’s worst-ever Ebola outbreak, where the three countries meet.

“These areas will be isolated by police and military. The people in these areas being isolated will be provided with material support,” said Hadja Saran Darab, the secretary-general of the Mano River Union bloc, which groups the West African nations.

The CDC yesterday issued a warning to avoid non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone due to the worsening Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The organisation’s director, Dr Tom Frieden, said the CDC would be sending additional experts to the affected region to assist efforts to stem the outbreak:

This is the biggest and most complex Ebola outbreak in history. Far too many lives have been lost already. It will take many months, and it won’t be easy, but Ebola can be stopped. We know what needs to be done. CDC is surging our response, sending 50 additional disease control experts to the region in the next 30 days.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has also issued a travel warning for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and anyone travelling from those countries should be vigilant for any signs of Ebola’s symptoms developing.

There is no vaccine for the highly contagious virus, which causes fever, vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding. It has killed around 60% of those infect since the current outbreak broke out in March.

The World Health Organization earlier warned that the epidemic was spiralling out of control and spreading faster than efforts to control it.

- Additional reporting by the AFP

Read: World Health Organisation launches €75 million ebola plan >

Watch: What exactly is the Ebola virus? >

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32 Comments
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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Oct 6th 2018, 7:33 AM

    anyone else suffering from ” brexit fatigue”…its been non stop in the media for nigh on 2years. every day there’s a new ” angle”…a new “scare” story. The world isn’t going to stop turning in March 2019- deal or no deal.I wonder what’s the media going to be so obsessed with after brexit

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    Mute FartyTowels
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    Oct 6th 2018, 8:24 AM

    @Frank Dubogovik: completely agree. However I want to know will brexit mean that we will once again be able to buy duty free on ferries between Ireland and the UK? Up yours high duty on my beloved vino

    33
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    Mute JustOneScoop
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    Oct 6th 2018, 9:22 AM

    @Frank Dubogovik: no not really.just because your a bot programmed to disperse apathy doesn’t change the fact that brexit is an immensely serious problem for this island. Disperse your apathy elsewhere

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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Oct 6th 2018, 9:59 AM

    @JustOneScoop: ??? whatever morphine or cocaine or whatever you’re on there lad you need to check the doses. I’m a “bot”…wtf is that that supposed to mean??

    9
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    Mute Tweed Cap
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    Oct 6th 2018, 7:25 AM

    The product will still be there. It just might (or not) be subject to a customs check, like 100% of all other non EU goods that come through Irish & European Ports.
    The way some people are going on you’d swear the Brits were intent on rolling up their country like a carpet and moving it to the Southern Hemisphere.
    After next March, they’ll still be right next door, doing fine and getting on with life. And all the disappointed drama junkies will find something else to fret about. Somebody rightly compared all this hysterical carry on to the millennium bug nonsense.

    54
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    Mute Greg Blake
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    Oct 6th 2018, 9:21 AM

    @Tweed Cap: of course it’ll be there. The very reason the world will not come to a grinding halt is that these things are being put out there, now, by organisations such as this. So their concern is that it will be business as usual for most of them providing the bureaucrats do their thing in the background. ‘It’ll be alright on the night‘ requires the backstage staff to be on the ball.

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    Mute JustOneScoop
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    Oct 6th 2018, 9:22 AM

    @Tweed Cap: bot alert . Incoming

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    Mute John Horan
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    Oct 6th 2018, 10:47 AM

    @Tweed Cap: Incorrect. You cannot import whatever you like from the rest of the world into the EU. There are restrictions on certain items coming into the EU but if they are produced in the EU they circulate freely. Additionally the items that get imported to the EU are subject to duties and taxes that make them more expensive. Remember that bit where the customs check your luggage to see what you bought on your shopping trip to NY and if you have certain stuff you get a big bill? Like that but worse

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    Mute wattsed
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    Oct 6th 2018, 11:39 AM

    @Tweed Cap: Agreed. You would think there will be folks watching Sky News at midnight on the night waiting for the country to disappear into a large sinkhole or at best for the UK to be plunged into darkness and wiped out with the plague.

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    Mute eastsmer
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    Oct 6th 2018, 7:04 AM

    Another thing that a United Ireland will solve

    43
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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    Oct 6th 2018, 7:09 AM

    @eastsmer: Relactification!

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    Mute Helen O'Neill
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    Oct 6th 2018, 7:55 PM

    Hopefully won’t become an issue as they do incredible work in the milk bank! Such an amazing thing to do m, if you can. I donated almost 6L about2.5 years ago and it’s so lovely to hear back how many babies got your milk and a little broach as a keepsake. Amazing work up there!!

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Oct 6th 2018, 8:02 AM

    We survived before without it I am sure we can do it again !

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    Mute AnneMarie Roche
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    Oct 6th 2018, 8:54 AM

    @Johnny Mason: The point is that vulnerable premature babies don’t survive without breast milk. Options of feeding this population is mothers breast milk, donated milk, TPN (nutrition delivered via its veins)-in that order. Mothers supply is often affected by the stressful situation she finds herself in and donated milk is required.

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Oct 6th 2018, 12:59 PM

    @AnneMarie Roche: Yes but we don’t need to make a Industry about it and worry ourselves to death !

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    Mute AnneMarie Roche
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    Oct 6th 2018, 10:24 PM

    @Johnny Mason: Tell that to the parents of a premmie born at 24weeks. Just because it doesn’t affect you directly doesn’t make it unimportant. And the Republic could do with “making an industry ” of it, we spend alot of money buying it from the north.

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