Ebola Virus Outbreak: WHO Seeks Help From International Community

Within the nation of East Africa, an Ebola epidemic is causing widespread concern. The World Health Organization is already keeping an eye on things to help medical professionals stop the deadly virus from spreading to more parts of Africa.

However, as Ebola cases are consistently being found in the area, the WHO requests assistance from the international community amid uncertainties.

In East Africa’s five districts, the health department has already identified 74 instances of the disease. 39 of the 74 instances were lethal due to the infection, whereas 14 people made a full recovery.

The WHO is convinced that, with the appropriate interventions and assistance from the international community, they will be able to eradicate Ebola before it spreads further throughout the country and into other countries. The WHO is monitoring a total of 660 people who may have been exposed to Ebola.

 “Our primary focus now is to support the government of Uganda now to rapidly control and contain this outbreak, to stop it from spreading to neighboring districts and neighboring countries,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

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Uganda records the most cases

The Ebola virus was recently identified in Uganda in late September when a local began to experience certain symptoms and was confirmed positive for the infection by health officials.

Sudan ebolavirus is the name of the virus strain, and as of right now, there are no authorized or recognized vaccines or therapies for it.

Ebola cannot be spread through the air, according to the WHO. Instead, people get sick by contacting others who have already had the disease or those who have already passed away from it. Also, Ebola can be spread through contact with infected objects or materials.

Health professionals also added that Ebola’s symptoms, which normally occur in 2 to 21 days, would not be able to spread until they started to manifest. The current average duration of the Ebola virus’s symptoms in infected people in the Uganda epidemic is 8 to 10 days.

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US is cautious

Tourists and locals who have visited Uganda have been advised by the US authorities to contact the hospital right away for testing and monitoring. In addition, several airports now demand that travelers undergo health checks before entering the nation. The airports in New York, Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Washington Dulles, and Newark are included in this.

As a precaution, the airlines make flight information easily accessible to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health body is also working with the airlines to conduct the testing.

According to a federal health official, the data is reportedly being used by state and local health authorities. Since Ebola is infectious and might cause additional issues in a post-Covid economy, the United States wants to make sure that no effort is lost.

Thankfully, there haven’t been any known cases of Ebola in a while. After a citizen flew to West Africa in 2014, the last Ebola case in the US was discovered. Two other healthcare personnel were also stricken by the illness that claimed the life of the Dallas native, but both have since survived.

Symptoms

According to the CDC website, symptoms of Ebola include:

  • Fever
  • Aches and pains, such as severe headache and muscle and joint pain
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of appetite
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting
  • Unexplained hemorrhaging, bleeding or bruising
  • Other symptoms may include red eyes, skin rash, and hiccups (late-stage)

Photo Credit: WHO

Source: CNBC

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