A life at sea is not the glamorous posting that it used to be. Long stretches away from family and friends, limited social cohesion because of a lack of common language and risk of attack or even hijack in some parts of the world. Shore leave is fast becoming the only highlight of this 'glamorous' career. And now that perk is also becoming severely restricted as a result of the global Ebola pandemic. Up to the end of August, 23,020 vessel departures took place in the five countries affected by Ebola and around 6,930 vessels called at the five countries in the same period, according to figures from IHS Maritime. Ships that call in any affected West African country face a wide array of precautions at their next ports of call. They could simply be required to check-in confirming no illness on board, or they could be subject to complete quarantine, such are the range of measures in place at different ports around the world.
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