Cameroon restricts movement along Equatorial Guinea border after “unknown deaths” from dengue fever

YAOUNDE (Reuters) -Cameroon has restricted movement along its border with Equatorial Guinea after “several unexplained deaths” from dengue fever, the health ministry said on Friday.

In a statement, the agency said the restrictions were imposed because “the risk of transmission of this disease is high and to detect and respond to any cases at an early stage”.

Investigations are underway and epidemiological surveillance has been enhanced with the assistance of experts from the World Health Organization and the Atlanta Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Equatorial Guinea said in a statement on Wednesday that it had recorded an “unusual epidemiological situation” in the past weeks in Nsok Nsomo district, Kie-Ntem province, that left nine people dead.

Cameroon’s Health Ministry released a statement on Thursday saying it had recorded about 20 deaths in villages in Equatorial Guinea’s Kie-Ntem province, which borders Cameroon.