GOMA/ KIGALI – A Rwandan official has said his country has closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo because of the deadly Ebola outbreak.
The closure comes after a man died of Ebola in the DRC’s major city of Goma, which is on the Rwandan border.
He was the second confirmed Ebola case in Goma.
The death increased fears the virus could take root in the densely populated city of 2 million.
Doctor Aruna Abedi, the Ebola coordinator for North Kivu province, said a person who had contact with the man is receiving treatment after showing signs of the disease.
Congo’s health ministry said it is the one-year-old daughter of the man who died on Wednesday and had spent several days at home with his large family while showing symptoms.
If the case is confirmed, it would be the first transmission of Ebola in this outbreak inside Goma.
Commenting on Rwanda sealing the border, the DRC’s presidency said: “The Congolese authorities deplore this decision, which runs counter to the advice of the WHO (World Health Organisation),” on fighting the virus.
The WHO, which declared this year-long Ebola outbreak a global health emergency last month, has recommended against travel restrictions.
However, it said the risk of regional spread is “very high”.
The outbreak has killed more than 1,800 people so far, making it the second-deadliest Ebola emergency in history.
