BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 11 -- Argentina and Ecuador on Monday announced preventive measures to fend off potential Ebola outbreaks.

Argentine cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich said the government has set up a "monitoring system" to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

In a daily press briefing, the official said "an epidemiological monitoring system has been created with the participation of the provinces" as part of a "strategy to control the spread of the virus."

No Ebola cases have been reported in South America, but the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday warned the disease was now a "public health emergency of international concern," and called for a coordinated international response to stop and reverse its spread.

Ecuadoran officials also announced a series of measures to prevent a possible outbreak of Ebola, including vigilance at ports of entry and border crossings.

The country's health ministry said it will provide information on the outbreak, which is currently restricted to west Africa, to nationals considering travel to that region.

The WHO has so far not recommended a ban on international travel or trade, but said "states should be prepared to detect, investigate and manage Ebola cases."

The current outbreak began in Guinea and spread to Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where a total of 1,779 cases have been reported, including 961 deaths, according to the latest WHO update.