After the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has ordered preventative health centers in the city to take precautionary measures to combat an outbreak of the virus, reports Tuoi Tre.

The epidemic has raised global alarm as the World Health Organization has reported over 900 deaths and 1,700 cases of infection, mainly in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Though no cases have been reported in Vietnam, officials remain cautious due to the large number of international tourists in the country, especially in HCMC.

The HCMC International Health Quarantine Center has released a report on how healthcare workers should handle patients infected with Ebola which “is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people.”

The good news is that there are no direct flights from Ebola-stricken areas in Africa to Vietnam and most African travelers arrive in Vietnam by boat. Since the travel time is about 15 days, those infected would show symptoms before arriving in the country, according to the report.

Even so, the city health department has asked that the District 1 Preventive Health Center pay close attention to the backpacker area where foreigners are centralized.

[Tuoi Tre]