Ebola case reports in Texas unfounded



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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas health officials said on Tuesday that there were no "suspected or confirmed cases" of Ebola in the state, reports said. on social networks have falsely suggested following immigrants from Africa, especially Congo, where an epidemic has exceeded 2000 cases.

False claims, ranging from an Ebola "epidemic" in Texas to a few confirmed cases, have been circulating since April. False claims are also spreading at a time when border police officials said last week that there had been a "dramatic" increase in the number of migrants arriving at the Texan border from African countries, although they represent only a small fraction of the total number of migrants. apprehended.

"We have no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola in Texas at present," said Lara Anton, spokesman for the Texas State Department's Department of Health.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also unaware of Ebola cases nationwide, spokesman Benjamin Haynes said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also added his voice. On Monday, the Republican governor tweeted that the state was working on "health security". He also referred to an April article that had denied the rumors of Ebola in the border town of Laredo. He subsequently responded to a pair of tweets surrounding the fears of Ebola in Texas, returning them to his previous post.

"In addition to border security, my office works on health security. The Department of State Health Services monitors immigration sites for protection against infectious diseases. In the meantime, Congress must secure the border and prevent health threats. "Abbott tweeted.

Border patrol officials said more than 500 African migrants have been passing through the Del Rio area since May 30, a small fraction of the more than 33,000 total apprehensions the sector has reported so far. this year. Officials claim that African families do not just come from the Democratic Republic of Congo – where the Ebola epidemic has spread – but also from the Republic of Congo and Angola .

Last week, San Antonio officials appealed to Francophone volunteers to help them host Congolese immigrants.

An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has killed more than 1,300 people since the month of August and is the second deadliest in history.

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