Ebola virus CONTAGION: Deadly virus may become UNCONTROLLABLE – Ebola outbreak MAPPED
THE EBOLA virus is still periodically breaking out in Africa, where the Congo is most commonly under threat from the deadly disease. Now the virus has spread again amid fears the virus could become uncontainable.
By LIAM DOYLE
Express.co.uk
Mon, Nov 12, 2018
Ebola has roamed around the Democratic Republic of Congo since its most devastating outbreak in 2014, sometimes straying beyond the borders of the country. Africa’s major outbreak was once a prevalent threat to the area and could now once again rear its ugly head. The 2014 threat saw tight health controls as international help managed to reduce cases, and authorities have since been vigilant.
Now, however, the DRC is in the midst of its ‘worst outbreak in history’ – and there is the chance the spread could become uncontrollable.
The DRC has been a prime breeding ground for the virus over the last four years, regularly seeing fresh outbreaks.
Generally, the virus has been most prevalent in the areas of Ituri and North Kivu, where 191 people have died so far.
Total cases are numbering 312 and the virus is likely to spread further before authorities are able to halt it.
Robert Redfield, Director for the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, warned the virus has the potential to become uncontainable.
The danger with ebola spreading is of it becoming endemic in another area, where it becomes anchored and difficult to contain, able to spread further afield.
Talking at the Centre for Health Security in Washington DC, Mr Redfield opened up on containing the disease.
He said: “This is one of the challenges: whether we’re able to contain, control and end the current outbreak with the current security situation, or do we move into the idea that this becomes more of an endemic Ebola outbreak in this region.
“We’ve never really confronted an endemic Ebola outbreak. We’ve contained them.”
DRC Doctor Oly Ilunga agreed, saying the outbreak is incredibly complex and as a result much more dangerous.
He said: “No other epidemic in the world has been as complex as the one we are currently experiencing.
“Since their arrival in the region, the response teams have faced threats, physical assaults, repeated destruction of their equipment, and kidnapping.
“Two of our colleagues in the Rapid Response Medical Unit even lost their lives in an attack.”
“This epidemic remains dangerous and unpredictable, and we must not let our guard down.
“We must continue to pursue a very dynamic response that requires permanent readjustments and real ownership at the community level.”
According to disease trackers BlueDot global, the disease has a category A biosecurity risk.
This is because Ebola has an extremely high mortality rate, with 60 percent of people dying at the hands of the nasty virus.
Map…HERE
