Malawians living in Karonga and Chitipa districts on the border with Tanzania have been engulfed with fears and panic following the Ebora outbreak in neibouring Tanzania.

A person is reported to have died of Ebora and two others affected by the virus  in the Tanzanian capital Dar es salaam, but the country’s authorities are reported to have been hiding information regarding the outbreak.

Malawians living near the Songwe border fear they risk being affected by the disease due to frequent contact with the Tanzanian nationals over cross border trade.

Most Malawi business men travel to the neibouring country to import clothes, house hold items and other goods while Many Tanzanian vendors cross the border to import Maize, rice or sell merchandise such as electronics, clothes, shoes and house hold utensils.

“We are almost in contact with our neibours  from Tanzania on daily basis,” Yesaya Mwiklama, a resident of Karonga. “we eat and drink together, we sleep in same places, it is likely to be infected with Ebora virus if one gets it from Tanzania or even here when we get in contact with a vendor affected by the virus,” he says.

But the Malawian government says there is no need for people to get panic with the outbreak in the neibouring country because it is intensively working on preventive measures.

Joshua Malango, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health has, however,  advised the people go for Ebora testing at the Songwe border before crossing into Malawi or  once they feel fever and other symptoms.