- 25 June 2014
"OUT of control." That is how aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has described the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The epidemic, which began in Guinea
at the beginning of the year, has spread to 60 locations, including
some in Sierra Leone and Liberia. According to the World Health
Organization, the virus, which causes fever, diarrhoea and internal bleeding, has infected 567 people, with 350 deaths.
That is a higher death toll than any other outbreak since the virus first infected humans in Africa in 1976.
MSF says that people are frightened but view health facilities with
suspicion. There is limited understanding that the disease spreads from
person to person through body fluids.
If those infected are rehydrated rapidly
they can recover, but MSF say it is overextended and can no longer send
teams to new outbreaks.
"There are a lot of cases – we are really
stretched. My worry is that this is the tip of the iceberg," says Anja
Wolz, MSF emergency coordinator. "Education and training are key to
stopping this outbreak, so we are telling people what to look for and
how they can prevent further spread. There are still a lot of people in
the region who don't believe that Ebola exists."
Stopping the disease from
spreading further is vitally important. At the moment, the virus is not
readily transmissible, but a large outbreak gives it more chances to
evolve to spread more easily between humans. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22229751.800-ebola-outbreak-in-west-africa-is-deadliest-ever.html#.U6tHQLGWrSi
