No plans to bring back Malaysians due to Ebola - Deputy Foreign Minister

There are no plans to bring back Malaysians from countries affected by the Ebola epidemic in West Africa like Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, said Foreign Deputy Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin.

He said the ministry was still monitoring the situation in these countries and there were no plans to temporarily close the representative offices in Nigeria and Guinea.

Malaysia does not have such offices in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

"When there is a need to bring back our citizens quickly, then we will do so," he told reporters after delivering the keynote address at the "Growing Together: ASEAN at 47" forum here on Friday.

Hamzah said as a precautionary measure, the ministry advised the public to postpone travelling to these countries to prevent the spread of the virus in Malaysia.

According to the World Health Organisation's website, as of Aug 4, 1,711 cases of Ebola had been detected in Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, including 932 deaths.

Ebola is a contagious disease which can spread through contact with bodily fluids and tissues of infected persons

Its symptoms include high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and kidney and liver failure.