Latest Updates on New Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Congo. Ebola Virus Spread on Large Scale will be common, WHO)
In the past, Ebola has affected relatively few people.
But the African country of Congo is currently facing its second major Ebola outbreak. The Ebola outbreak comes three years after the world's first major outbreak of the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says countries and organizations need to focus on preparing for new epidemics.
What is Ebola?
- Ebola is a virus that initially causes fever, severe weakness, muscle aches, and sore throat.
- In the second stage, vomiting (vomiting), diarrhea (diarrhea), and bleeding from the inner and outer parts of the body.
- The disease is spread by Ebola-infected person's blood, vomit, stools, and other human fluids entering healthy people directly through cracked skin, mouth, and nose.
- The patient usually dies from dehydration and complete disability of various organs.
There have been 2,025 cases of the infectious disease in the Republic of Congo so far, resulting in 1,375 deaths.
The largest Ebola outbreak occurred in West Africa during 2014-16, affecting 28,616 people and killing 11,310. Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone were the hardest hit.
From 2000 to 2010, the average number of people infected in 12 attacks of the disease was 100.
The question is why more people are being affected by recent attacks of this disease?
"We are entering a new era of severe infectious diseases, not just Ebola," said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Emergency Program.
He said the world was witnessing disturbing threats and that the risks of diseases such as Ebola, cholera, and jaundice were increasing.
He added that climate change, emerging diseases, deforestation where rainfall is high, growing populations, weak governments, and war conditions are contributing to the outbreak and spread of diseases.
Dr. Ryan says the World Health Organization is monitoring 160 outbreaks of the disease around the world, including nine to three grade emergencies. Grade three is the largest emergency level.
"I don't think we've had so many emergencies at the same time before," he said.
"It's a new situation. I don't expect such incidents to diminish. "
He said that countries and institutions have to be ready to deal with such infectious diseases.
The continuing Ebola epidemic in the Congo is a source of concern for authorities.
In the first 224 days, the number of patients was up to 1,000, but in the next 71 days, the number doubled to 2,000.
The ongoing tensions in the Congo make it difficult to control the disease. Between January and May this year, there were more than 40 attacks on health-related facilities.
The second major reason is the lack of trust in health officials. People are not seeking treatment and there are risks that they could pass on their illness to neighbors and relatives.
Dr. Jose Golding of the Wellcome Trust says the world needs to be prepared to deal with the spread of such diseases.
"Ebola in West Africa, the movement of people and easy borders, we now live in a world that will not stop," he told the BBC.
He said climate change could lead to the outbreak of a number of diseases, such as cholera outbreak after Hurricane Ide in Mozambique.
"Preparations need to be better, we need to keep an eye on population movements and climate change, and we need more resources to prepare to deal with it."
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