WHO: Although serious, Ebola is not a global pandemic emergency – and the infection is not transmitted by cross-contact

In a briefing to reporters in Geneva on Wednesday about the rapid developments in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Tedros said that in addition to dozens of confirmed cases of infection with the Ebola virus of the “Bundebugyo” strain, there are about 600 cases of illness and 139 suspected deaths.

And he said: “We expect these numbers to continue to rise, given the period of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was discovered.”

Dr. Tedros confirmed that this is an extremely rare strain of the Ebola virus, as it was last detected in 2007. In the absence of any vaccine or treatments for it, the organization’s teams are already working with community leaders in Ituri District, which is the epicenter of the virus outbreak, to help prevent its wider spread.

Decades of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is rich in mineral resources, has contributed to chronic vulnerability among the population, including health-care workers who find themselves caught in a constant state of insecurity.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than two million internally displaced people in the two affected provinces, Ituri and North Kivu, while the “March 23” rebel militia controls the capital, Goma.

At the press conference, Dr. Marie Roslyn Belisaire, acting Regional Director for Emergencies at the World Health Organization, confirmed that the organization has a team permanently present in Goma, and continues to provide support to the population there.

She said: “We will continue this work through this outbreak. We have never left Goma throughout the city’s security turmoil, and we will continue to remain there to ensure the protection and safety of the community we serve.”

Danger zone

Emphasizing the “inherently difficult” task of monitoring the Ebola outbreak in Ituri District, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yacoub Janabi, explained that effective disease surveillance depends on reliable community reporting, continued functioning of local health facilities, and laboratory confirmation of infection.

“In remote or unsafe areas, it may take a long time to identify cases,” he said, noting that the “Ebola Bundibugyo” virus was not identified until samples were transported approximately 1,700 kilometers across the country to the capital, Kinshasa.

Dr. Anaïs Legand, technical officer for viral hemorrhagic fevers at the World Health Organization, confirmed that the organization provided support to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to conduct investigations as quickly as possible as soon as it was informed of the presence of the disease.

She added:Investigations are still ongoing to determine exactly when and where this outbreak began. “Given the scope and scale of the outbreak, we believe it began several months ago, but investigations are continuing, and our real priority now is to break the chain of transmission.”

It is noteworthy that today’s press conference came after a meeting held by the World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee yesterday, Tuesday, in Geneva, where it confirmed that the Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, but does not rise to the level of an emergency global pandemic.

The chair of the committee, Professor Lucille H. Bloomberg, stressed that the transmission of the Ebola virus occurs through direct contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person, which is what likely happened in the case of a patient who died on May 5 in the city of Bunia after his family decided to replace the coffin in which the body was transported.

She said: “So the infection is not transmitted through cross-contact, nor is it transmitted through the air. I think we have to recognize that fact. This is related to the issue of travel restrictions, which are not supported by the recommendations issued by the International Health Regulations.”

Professor Bloomberg also highlighted the challenges facing efforts to control the outbreak, in light of the continuing humanitarian crisis, existing security challenges, high rates of population mobility, and geographical proximity to many international borders.

She stressed the need to provide resources, mobilize additional human resources, and urgently conduct research and develop anti-virus measures, noting that this includes intensifying surveillance operations and identifying people who may have been in contact with infected people.