z2. Oct 11, 2013. Day 11.

This morning you opened the news on the web and were not surprised to see budget discussions dominating. As you were about to close the news in disgust, this report crossed the wire and caught your attention:

 

Travel Quarantine and Delays for Parts of Western Africa

CDC Responds to Illness, Deaths in Democratic Republic of the Congo

By Anther Banghart - October 11, 2013 11:30 AM PT

At 10 am EDT Friday the U.S. State Department, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), initiated a full quarantine for the nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).   All international travel to the area has been halted. Neighboring countries, including Zambia and Tanzania, will have highly restricted travel.

Individuals planning to travel to West Africa should check the state department web page before attempting to enter or exit the region.  Extreme delays are anticipated and travelers should be prepared to provide detailed itineraries.  Individuals who cannot prove travel routes will be subject to quarantine prior to reentry to the United States.

Quarantine areas are being expanded at all international ports. Several thousand federal employees have been called back from furlough in order to assist with the efforts.

The illness may be related to the Ebola hemorrhagic virus, including a high mortality rate and bleeding from the eyes and mouth.  Unlike Ebola, the hemorrhaging is reported to occur while the infected person is still mobile.  Ebola first presents as flu-like symptoms, before affecting the nervous and respiratory systems. 

 

Aide efforts to the area have been severely limited by the ongoing civil unrest.  Air drops of food and other supplies have occurred in a few targeted areas.

The Ebola hemorrhagic fever was first discovered in the DRC in 1976, with an outbreak of what was later called the Zaire strain.  The Zaire strain has the highest fatality rate, 83% in small outbreaks, and 90% during epidemics.  The last outbreak was in 2008; however experts in the field believe that small unrecorded events occur frequently. 

Please note that this is a fake news story for the purpose of Zombie Apocalypse Survival Fitness Program, and any connection to any real people is imagined. However research was done to add an air of authenticity to this report, so some of the facts presented here may be accurate.