Two Ebola suspect Nigerians, who arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on August 19, have been discharged from hospital but remain being tracked in the community within the next 21 days.

The male passengers were isolated at the municipal Tropical Diseases Hospital after they were detected to run a slight fever of 37.5-38 degrees Celsius by a body temperature measurement machine installed at the airport upon their arrival.

Both got rid of fever and showed no other typical symptoms that could be tied to the deadly virus after being watched by the medical staff over the past 24 hours, according to the Preventive Medicine Centre.

The men left Nigeria , one of the four West African countries being affected by the epidemic, on August 18. They were on a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam the following day.

Early Ebola symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat. They later progress to vomiting, diarrhoea, impaired kidney and liver function – and sometimes internal and external bleeding.

Given the fact, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan on August 20 led an inspection team to big hotels and travel agents in Hanoi to inspect their response plans.

Being aware of the devastating consequences of Ebola once it comes to Vietnam, leading travel companies have temporarily suspended tours to Africa.

They informed foreign partners that they will not take tourists coming from the Ebola outbreak areas or once spent some time in the four disease hotpot countries in West Africa including Guinea , Liberia , Sierra Leone and Nigeria .

Meanwhile, the People’s Committee of central Da Nang city has urged all sectors and departments, especially Da Nang international airport and Tien Sa port, to deploy all necessary preventive measures.

The health department was required to regularly update on the latest developments of the epidemic and prepare sufficient medicine and equipment and open training courses for the medical staff.

It was also asked to work with the department of communication and information to raise public awareness of the disease and preventive measures. The customs were responsible for deploying health declaration and screening facilities to serve the detection of Ebola exposure.

Ebola crisis has killed 1,350 people in the current outbreak, with Liberia being the worst hit of the four affected West African countries, according to the World Health Organisation.

Ebola doesn’t spread through airborne or waterborne methods. It is caught through contact with bodily fluids such as sweat, blood, saliva and other secretions of infected people.

No infection of the virus has been reported in Vietnam so far.-VNA