Authorities in Angola have shut the border between the country and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Malanje Province in order to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus, media confirmed.
Malanje Province, located 383 km northeast of the Angolan capital of Luanda is a major interaction point between Angolans and the Congolese.
The border points on the Angolan side would have 12 police officers, 12 immigration personnel, four nurses and four firefighters and civil protection services officials to ensure the Ebola virus was not allowed in, VOA Radio reported.
According to VOA Radio, four officers of the Angolan Forests Development Institute and two veterinary officials have also been deployed to monitor the transfer of water and animal products across the border.
On Saturday, DRC health officials said they had detected five fresh suspected cases of Ebola following the outbreak in the northwest of the country.
The DRC health ministry said in a statement that three new cases were recorded in the Bikoro area and two in Wangata, both regions which lie in the northwestern Equateur Province.
DR Congo and the UN World Health Organisation were rushing to contain the outbreak that has affected more than 50 people in recent weeks, with 25 dead.
The outbreak was first declared on May 8 in Bikoro, a remote area in the vast country.
