The Mexican government stated, this Tuesday (26), that it coordinates with the United States and Canada measures that will be implemented during the World Cup to prevent the spread of Ebola, which affects African countries.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, hit by an epidemic of this deadly virus, will play its games in the first phase of the tournament on American and Mexican fields.
On Monday, the WHO (World Health Organization) warned that the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is “extremely serious and difficult” and threatens at least a dozen other African countries.
“We are implementing epidemiological surveillance protocols in coordination with the United States and Canada in the context of the World Cup,” said David Kershenobich, Mexican Secretary of Health, during the presidential press conference.
The official detailed that isolation measures and close monitoring by authorities in the health and tourism sectors are planned.
Last week, the United States announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo team must remain isolated for 21 days before entering the country, where they will debut on June 17 against Portugal, in Houston.
The African team’s second game will be against Colombia in Guadalajara, in western Mexico, a country that is estimated to receive more than five million tourists during the North American World Cup.
The last game for the Congolese, who will have their training center in Houston, will be on June 27, in Atlanta, against Uzbekistan.
The WHO estimates the number of deaths from the outbreak in that country at 220, ten of which are confirmed. The number of alleged contagions exceeds 900 cases. Uganda is the other African country affected and, as of Monday, had seven confirmed cases.
The current outbreak is of the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.
