The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised its response level to the Ebola outbreak to its highest level due to the uncontrolled spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. According to the CDC, the current epidemic has already become one of the largest in history: the second largest in DR Congo and the third largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the world. However, the risk of fever spreading across the United States remains low.
More than 1,100 cases of the disease have already been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and the number of infected people is likely to continue to grow, according to Satish Pillai, head of the CDC's Ebola Operations Center.
“We are extremely concerned about the dynamics of the spread of the disease: the number of cases is growing rapidly and the geographical coverage continues to expand,” Pillai said.
According to him, to contain the epidemic, an “aggressive comprehensive approach” is required, including rapid identification and isolation of cases, contact tracing, and strengthening of infection prevention and control measures. Without attracting additional resources, the epidemic could surpass in scale the other two largest Ebola outbreaks of recent decades – in West Africa and the province of North Kivu in the DR Congo.
“Swift and sustained public health measures are needed to prevent further spread of the disease. Otherwise, the current epidemic could surpass in scale the two largest Ebola outbreaks of recent decades: the epidemic in West Africa in 2014-2016 and the outbreak in North Kivu province in DR Congo in 2018-2020,” Pillai said.
According to Reuters, previously the first level of CDC response was introduced only in exceptional cases – after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, during the swine flu pandemic in 2009-2010, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2016 and the Zika virus epidemic in 2016-2017.
Introducing the highest level of response will allow the maximum possible number of employees to be involved in containing the outbreak. More than 100 CDC employees are currently involved in the fight against the disease. Field missions have been deployed in both countries: 24 specialists are permanently working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and another 100 employees are in Uganda, Pillai said.
“CDC is working closely with the health ministries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, as well as other international partners, to support the response and help stop the spread,” Pillai said.
Last week, the department announced $107 million in emergency funding to bolster efforts to combat the outbreak. In addition, a few days ago, the administration of US President Donald Trump requested an additional $1.4 billion from Congress. As a representative of the Trump administration told Reuters, $800 million of this amount is planned to be used to create a quarantine center in Kenya for American citizens.
The CDC also extended until July 21 entry restrictions for non-US citizens if they have recently visited DR Congo, South Sudan or Uganda, The Hill points out.
Recall that in May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern.” At least 250 people have already been confirmed dead, but the real death toll is likely much higher because the virus may have been spreading undetected for months before it was detected.
