PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has urged the public to take precautionary measures against Ebola, although the kingdom has not yet detected any case of the virus so far, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Monday.
The statement came after the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared an international health emergency as an Ebola outbreak had killed more than 80 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the virus had also spread to Uganda, causing infections and deaths.
"To date, Cambodia has not yet detected any cases of Ebola," the statement said. "The Ministry of Health has been closely monitoring the situation and has disseminated knowledge and guidance to emergency response teams, health workers, and the public through social media platforms."
In addition, the ministry has prepared necessary measures for prevention and immediate response if any suspected cases occur in the Southeast Asian country, the statement added.
Ebola is the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that causes severe, often fatal illness in humans, the statement said, adding that the death rate is as high as 80 to 90 percent if not treated promptly. ■
