Kenya has decided to close its borders to travelers from the countries where the Ebola virus is most prevalent.
According to Agence France-Presse, on Saturday, the Kenyan government announced that it was barring travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Furthermore, Kenya Airways will be suspending any flights to and from the capital cities of Freetown and Monrovia starting next week. Flights will still fly to Lagos, Nigeria, which has seen fewer cases of Ebola than the other countries.
BBC noted that the choice to ban travelers is in response to the World Health Organization’s assessment that Kenya is at "high risk" for an Ebola outbreak because it is a transport hub.
Kenyan Health Minister James Macharia said that the government’s decision was "in the interest of public health".
The deadly virus showed up in Guinea several months ago and so far has killed more than 1,000 people in the West African nations.
The virus, which is often fatal, is spread by humans through close personal contact. There is no known cure for Ebola and a quarantine period is necessary.
The symptoms of the virus can include arthritis, chills, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and internal as well as external bleeding.