Zambia on high alert of Ebola

Health officials in Zambia have been placed on high alert to monitor people coming and leaving the country at border entries to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from entering the country, a Ministry of Health official said Thursday.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson Reuben Mbewe said in a statement that health officials have further been instructed to be alert and monitor any symptoms that could be related to the disease which has so far broken out in Uganda killing several people.

He said medical officials, especially at border posts have been placed on alert to monitor people coming from Uganda.

While acknowledging that there has been no Ebola cases reported so far in the country, the official said the government had put in place "precautionary measures" to monitor the disease and has since called on members of the public not to be apprehensive.

There is currently no cure for Ebola and the disease manifests itself as a hemorrhagic fever and is highly infectious and kills within a short time. Some of its symptoms include fever, muscle aches and pain, headaches and sore throat.