Ebola Outbreak Alert for UK Universities

As British universities are about to accept September intake of Nigerian students,a warning of a potential Ebola outbreak has been sent to the institutions to ensure welfare of all students on the campus. 

All vice chancellors received instructions on how to prevent the deadly virus from spreading. The situation is dreadful in West Africa where the virus has taken away hundreds of lives. Nigeria which makes the 4th largest source of international students in UK, had confirm cases of deaths from Ebola.

"Universities UK has been, and will remain, in close contact with government officials and public health agencies on this issue to ensure we can advise and support our members. We are also working closely with other organisations to ensure the appropriate advice reaches relevant individuals within student services and university administration."

Staff are advised anyone suspected of having the virus must be placed in isolation in a side room.

However, the organisation reassured VCs Ebola is not transmitted through the air but only through “direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membrane) and indirect contact with environments contaminated with splashes or droplets of blood or body fluids".

According to the World Health Organisation, Ebola has a fatality rate of up to 90%. The virus has killed 1,229 people in West Africa since it was first reported in March.

Ebola originates from wild animals and its symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, problems with liver and kidney function and internal and external bleeding.