World Health Organization: The risk of an Ebola outbreak should not be underestimated.
Janabi: Ebola is a virus that is often fatal and causes fever and body aches.
Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
Mohammed Yacoub Janabi, the World Health Organization's regional director for Africa, said it would be a mistake to underestimate the threat posed by the outbreak. virus Ebola, warning that just one case could spread the virus outside the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The outbreak has resulted in 160 deaths out of 670 cases, according to data from the Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry published Thursday. Two cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.
Underestimating the Ebola outbreak is a grave danger.
Janabi added, in an interview with Reuters at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, that it would be a grave mistake to underestimate it, especially with a virus of this strain, Bundibugyo, for which we do not have a vaccine.
He said: “So I would really like to encourage everyone, let’s help each other, we can control this.”.
The Ebola outbreak did not receive much attention
He added that the Ebola outbreak in Congo has not received as much global attention as the Hanta virus outbreak this month, which has affected cruise ship passengers from 23 countries, including major powers.
He said: “Just one case of contact is enough to put us all at risk, so my wish is that we give (Ebola) the attention it deserves.”.
Ebola is a virus that is often fatal, causing fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea.
It is spread through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people, contaminated materials, or people who have died from the disease, and the extent of the outbreak is still being assessed.
Janabi declined to comment on the expected duration and size of the current outbreak, saying that experts on the ground were assessing that.
He said that “excessive movement of individuals” made it difficult to assess the situation, adding that efforts were underway to expand testing, infection prevention measures and community engagement.
He said the dispute over the body of one of the victims, which led to the burning of Ebola treatment tents, highlights the importance of building trust.
He said: “We are trying to fight on both fronts,” referring to the virus itself and the misinformation about the disease spreading among the local population.
It is worth noting that the World Health Organization raised the risk level of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to “very high” at the national level.
He added that another challenge is that epidemiologists have not yet found the first infected person, saying that this is important to identify and isolate the initial network of contacts.
