Ebola kills more than 100 in Africa and sparks new global alert

According to BBCthe director of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, stated that at least 100 deaths have already been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in addition to more than 390 suspected cases. The outbreak also reached Uganda, where two cases were confirmed, including one death.

According to the WHO, the cases involve the variant Bundibugyo of the Ebola virus. The entity stated that the episode does not yet meet the pandemic criteria, but requires international coordination due to the risk of regional spread. The alert gained an international dimension because the affected region has a high movement of people, close borders and areas marked by a humanitarian crisis and insecurity. According to the WHO, these factors could facilitate the expansion of the outbreak to neighboring countries.

Faced with this scenario, the United States government activated this Monday (18) an interinstitutional response to support countries affected by the outbreak. According to the agency EFEthe US State Department reported that it created, within the first 24 hours after confirming the cases, a coordination cell in Washington and an incident management system with the participation of several federal agencies. Washington also announced the initial mobilization of US$13 million (R$65 million) to support an immediate response to the outbreak. According to the EFEresources will be allocated to epidemiological surveillance, strengthening laboratories, risk communication and expanding clinical care capacity.

The American reaction occurred after a US citizen contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the patient will be transferred to Germany to receive specialized treatment.

American health authorities also announced measures to reduce the risk of the disease entering the country. According to EFEthe US issued a temporary order to prohibit the entry of people who have passed through countries affected by the outbreak in the last 21 days.

The WHO recommended that Congo and Uganda strengthen epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, border control and infection prevention measures in health facilities. The entity also advised neighboring countries to increase their readiness to detect and isolate possible cases.