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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said Monday that the Ebola outbreak in conflict-ridden Congo has become so serious that international public health experts need to consider the possibility that it cannot be brought under control and instead will become entrenched.
If that happened, it would be the first time since the deadly viral disease was first identified in 1976 that an Ebola outbreak led to the persistent presence of the disease. In all previous outbreaks, most of which took place in remote areas, the disease was contained before it spread widely. The current outbreak is entering its fourth month, with nearly 300 cases, including 186 deaths.
If Ebola becomes endemic in substantial areas of North Kivu province, in northeastern Congo, “this will mean that we’ve lost the ability to trace contacts, stop transmission chains and contain the outbreak,” said Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, which hosted the briefing on Capitol Hill that featured the Ebola discussion with Redfield.
In that scenario, there would be a sustained and unpredictable spread of the deadly virus, with major implications for travel and trade, he said, noting that there are 6 million people in North Kivu. By comparison, the entire population of Liberia, one of the hardest-hit countries during the West Africa Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016, is about 4.8 million.
The outbreak is taking place in a part of Congo that is an active war zone. Dozens of armed militias operate in the area, attacking government outposts and civilians, complicating the work of Ebola response teams and putting their security at risk. Violence has escalated in recent weeks, severely hampering the response. The daily rate of new Ebola cases more than doubled in early October. In addition, there is community resistance and deep mistrust of the government.
Some sick people have refused to go to treatment centers, health-care workers are still being infected, and some people are dying of Ebola or spreading the virus to new areas. An estimated 60 to 80 percent of new confirmed cases have no known epidemiological link to prior cases, making it very difficult for responders to track cases and stop transmission. In late August, the United States withdrew some of the CDC’s most seasoned Ebola experts who had been stationed in Beni, the province’s urban epicenter, because of security risks.
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This is when we order a complete travel embargo from Congo. Period. There is no earthly reason not to. There is every strategic and national health reason to keep from bringing this heinous disease in to our nation. Of course the open border Dem lunatics will scream and cry about it, but to bad I say. Either that, or no one from any country with a single case of Ebola comes in without a negative blood screening fro Ebola. Period. It's just simple common sense.
The Ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which has already killed more than 200 people, is expected to last until mid-2019, a senior World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.
“It’s very hard to predict time frames in an outbreak as complicated as this with so many variables that are outside our control," WHO emergency response chief Peter Salama told reporters, "but certainly we’re planning on at least another six months before we can declare this outbreak over.”
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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna935751
I'm a bit puzzled that they are estimating a time frame for the end of the outbreak when all the recent news has been that they can't contain it and there is a good chance it will become entrenched (ie. persistent). I hope the WHO is right though. 6 months is better than forever.
Congolese authorities have authorised clinical trials for four experimental Ebola treatments, which will allow researchers to collect valuable data about their effectiveness, the health ministry said on Saturday.
Health workers have already administered therapeutic treatments to more than 150 Ebola patients since August in an effort to contain the worst of Democratic Republic of Congo's 10 outbreaks of the hemorrhagic fever since 1976.
But until now doctors have decided which treatment to use on a case-by-case basis. In the clinical trial, the choice of treatment will now be randomised.
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As of last weekend, 151 patients had received one of the four drugs. Of those, 76 had recovered, 44 had died and 31 were still hospitalised -- a mortality rate of 37 percent.
By contrast, among those who had not received treatment, the mortality rate was close to 80 percent.
The ministry said that the data from the current outbreak would probably not be sufficient to make definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatments and that the trials could continue during future outbreaks.
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Congo's deadly Ebola outbreak is now the second largest in history, behind the devastating West Africa outbreak that killed thousands a few years ago, the World Health Organization said Thursday.
WHO's emergencies chief, Dr. Peter Salama, called it a "sad toll" as Congo's health ministry announced the number of cases has reached 426. That includes 379 confirmed cases and 47 probable ones. So far this outbreak, declared on Aug. 1, has 198 confirmed deaths, with another 47 probable ones, Congo's health ministry said.
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More than 37,000 people have received Ebola vaccinations, and Congo has begun the first-ever trial to test the effectiveness and safety of four experimental Ebola drugs. And yet the risk of Ebola spreading in so-called "red zones" — areas that are virtually inaccessible because of the threat of rebel groups — is a major concern in containing this outbreak.
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This is the first time this turbulent part of northeastern Congo has had an Ebola outbreak. Congo's health ministry has carried vivid accounts of residents, spurred by rumors, who have been trying to stop safe burial practices that halt the spread of Ebola from victims to relatives and friends.
On Thursday, the ministry said a group of youths broke into a morgue, stole the body of an Ebola victim and returned it to their family.
The second-largest Ebola outbreak in history has spread to a major city in eastern Congo, as health experts worry whether the stock of an experimental vaccine will stand up to the demands of an epidemic with no end in sight.
Butembo, with more than 1 million residents, is now reporting cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever. That complicates Ebola containment work already challenged by rebel attacks elsewhere that have made tracking the virus almost impossible in some isolated villages.
“We are very concerned by the epidemiological situation in the Butembo area,” said John Johnson, project coordinator with Doctors Without Borders. New cases are increasing quickly in the eastern suburbs and outlying, isolated districts, the medical charity said.
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This is by far the largest deployment of the promising but still experimental Ebola vaccine, which is owned by Merck. The company keeps a stockpile of 300,000 doses, and preparing them takes months.
“We are extremely concerned about the size of the vaccine stockpile,” Dr. Peter Salama, the World Health Organization’s emergencies director, told the STAT news outlet in an interview last week, saying 300,000 doses is not sufficient as urban Ebola outbreaks become more common.
Health workers, contacts of Ebola victims and their contacts have received the vaccine in a “ring vaccination” approach, but in some cases all residents of hard-to-reach communities have been offered it. The prospect of a mass vaccination in a major city like Butembo has raised concerns. Salama called the approach “extremely impractical.”
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Doctors at the epicenter of Congo's Ebola crisis are threatening to go on strike indefinitely if health workers are attacked again.
The march on Wednesday comes after a Cameroon national working for the World Health Organization was killed last week on assignment in eastern Congo.
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Since the Ebola outbreak began in the North Kivu and Ituri regions of DRC last August, 1,340 cases have been reported - including 874 deaths.
But despite a decision not to call the epidemic a global health crisis, there are concerns that the outbreak is gathering pace. April has already seen more cases reported than any other month since August.
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The surge of Ebola cases continued today, with the ministry of health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recording 15 new cases and 14 deaths in an outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
April was the deadliest month of the 9-month long outbreak, which has been studded with acts of violence against response workers and discord between community members and health officials. In April, two attacks in Katwa and Butembo (current virus hot spots) significantly stalled outbreak surveillance and lowered the morale of clinicians in the region.
April total: 406 cases, 308 deaths
Today's cases raise the outbreak total to 1,495, of which 1,429 are confirmed and 66 are probable. There have been 984 deaths, and 306 suspected cases are still under investigation.
Among the fatalities recorded today, six were community deaths, which raise the risk of transmission. DRC officials confirmed 308 deaths in April alone.
According to US Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) data, the 406 cases recorded in April—if considered by themselves—would constitute the third-largest Ebola outbreak in history, behind the West African outbreak in 2014 through 2016 (28,652 cases) and a 2000 outbreak in Uganda (425 cases).
As it stands, the current outbreak is the world's second largest, and the DRC's 10th since 1976, when the disease was first recorded.
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The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak response this past week continues to be hampered by insecurity. On 3 May in Katwa, a Safe and Dignified Burial (SDB) team was violently attacked following the completion of a burial for a deceased EVD case. In Butembo and surrounding health zones, response activities were repeatedly halted due to a number of serious security incidents taking place from 4-6 May. On 8 May, a group of over 50 armed militia infiltrated the city centre. Security forces repelled the attack following intense gunfire in close proximity to staff accommodations. Although activities resumed on 9 May, after almost five consecutive days of suspension, threats of further attacks against EVD response teams and facilities remain prevalent.
These security incidents, and especially the resultant lack of access to EVD affected communities, remain a major impediment to the response, with teams unable to perform robust surveillance nor deliver much needed treatment and immunisations. The ongoing violent attacks sow fear, perpetuate mistrust, and further compound the multitude of challenges already faced by frontline healthcare workers. Without commitment from all groups to cease these attacks, it is unlikely that this EVD outbreak can remain successfully contained in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
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... As of 02 July 2019, a total of 2369 EVD cases, including 2275 confirmed and 94 probable cases, were reported (Table 1). A total of 1598 deaths were reported (overall case fatality ratio 68%), including 1504 deaths among confirmed cases. ...
According to the Louisiana Office of Public Health, the emergency room at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport-Monroe Medical Center was closed for several hours Sunday out of an abundance of caution. A patient, who had recently traveled outside of the United States, exhibited influenza-like symptoms.
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Below is the full statement sent to NBC 10 from the hospital:...Earlier today, Monroe Medical Center received a patient who exhibited influenza-like symptoms and recently reported a history of traveling to Africa. However, an appropriate travel history was obtained and although the patient had traveled outside the United States, they had not been to any areas of Africa where Ebola occurs.
We immediately notified the proper authorities, including the Louisiana Office of Public Health, and it was quickly determined that our protocols were effective and the risk for Ebola was ruled out immediately.
We commend our team for swiftly initiating our Ebola protocol, which includes screening and isolation of any patient suspected of having the disease.
At this time, Monroe Medical Center does not have any suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola.
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As of 12 November, a total of 3291 EVD cases were reported, including 3173 confirmed and 118 probable cases, of which 2193 cases died (overall case fatality ratio 67%). Of the total confirmed and probable cases, 56% (n=1856) were female, 28% (n=930) were children aged less than 18 years, and 5% (n=163) were health workers.
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As of 10 December, a total of 3340 EVD cases were reported, including 3222 confirmed and 118 probable cases, of which 2210 cases died (overall case fatality ratio 66%) (Table 1). ...
From 19 to 25 February, no new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported. This was the first time since the beginning of the response that no new confirmed cases were reported over a seven-day period ...
... As of 25 September 2022, a cumulative number of 36 cases (18 confirmed and 18 probable cases) have been reported ...
Call me a conspiracy nut, but I still think that Ebola was a lab created bio weapon that they needed to 'test' out and who better to test it on but some 3rd world African village nobody cares about?
Ebola = AIDS? Hadn't heard that one yet.
Is there anything precluding the possibility that it may be both of them?I thought that virus was supposed to be AIDS.
Is there anything precluding the possibility that it may be both of them?
That's my thought as well...Is there anything precluding the possibility that it may be both of them?
FAUCI will fly them into Houston hospitals just to see if the disease has mutated. That how Ebola got here the first time.More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/heal...ay-not-be-containable/?utm_term=.87871e7d32c6
Unfortunately, Houston has one of the largest trading ports in the world so if the Ebola does break out, chances are good it will spread to "my neighborhood" sooner rather than later.
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