WHO issues WARNING after DEADLY ebola outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is orchestrating the safe repatriation of at least six American citizens who have been exposed to a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This action follows the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a global health emergency.
On Tuesday, the WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, convened a meeting of the emergency committee to address the escalating Ebola crisis affecting the Congo and Uganda. He emphasized the alarming “scale and speed” at which the outbreak is progressing.
According to Ghebreyesus, recent data reveals over 500 suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 33 of those being confirmed. Additionally, Uganda has reported two confirmed cases. The outbreak has resulted in a total of 131 deaths.
“I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” Tedros expressed in his statement on Tuesday.
Later on Tuesday, Tedros will engage in discussions with the WHO’s Emergency Committee to further address the crisis.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was photographed speaking at an event. (Lian Yi/Xinhua via Getty Images)
There are several factors that have made the WHO concerned about the potential for further spread, such as cases in urban areas, including Kampala, Uganda, and Goma in the DRC, as well as the conflict-affected province of Ituri.
The WHO has approved $3.9 million in emergency funding to support national authorities as they respond to the outbreak.
The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency on Sunday, and the U.S. issued an urgent travel warning for the DRC shortly after on Monday.
A health worker sprays disinfectant on a colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Al-hadji Kudra Maliro/AP)
Officials said the outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, a rarer variant for which existing vaccines may be less effective.
The State Department warns that Ebola is a “rare, severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever illness.”
The virus can spread through direct contact with infected individuals, bodily fluids, infected corpses and objects contaminated with the virus.
“The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Ituri province,” the advisory noted. “Do not travel to this area for any reason.”
Pictured is the MV Hondius, the cruise ship tied to a hantavirus outbreak after a stop in Argentina that left three passengers dead. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.
As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.
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