Where could Ebola spread?
U.S. falls low on the list
by Maggie Fox
NBCNews.com
May.23.2018
An outbreak of Ebola virus disease is worsening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and health workers are racing to vaccinate those at highest risk with an experimental vaccine.
They’re also mobilizing to try to stop any further spread. The virus, which usually infects people living in deeply forested areas, has turned up in the busy river port city of Mbandaka.
“The confirmed case in Mbandaka, a large urban center located on major national and international rivers, roads and domestic air routes, increases the risk of spread within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to neighboring countries,” the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
“WHO has, therefore, revised the assessment of public health risk to very high at the national level and high at the regional level.”
WHO says 58 confirmed or suspected cases are reported, with 27 deaths, making for a fatality rate of 47 percent.
WHO has cautioned nine neighboring countries to be on high alert for cases and says people leaving the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) should be screened for disease.
“The highest priority countries at risk are the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), due to their proximity to the current event,” WHO said.
Where is the most likely international spread of Ebola? The EcoHealth Alliance analyzed flight patterns from airports in the region.
Their top 10 connections:
1. Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo
2. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3. Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
4. Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
5. Brussels, Belgium
6. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
7. Paris, France
8. Nairobi, Kenya
9. Johannesburg, South Africa
10. Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
The DRC is a former Belgian colony, and so has frequent connections to Brussels, while the Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is a former French colony and thus has connections with France.
The Rest…HERE
