Ebola continues spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the Bundibugyo virus strain moving faster than international response efforts. The outbreak was announced May 15 and has become the third largest recorded. Reported figures as of May 24 include 1,018 cases with 234 deaths, but the numbers are described as a significant undercount and likely outdated. WHO and national health agencies call for international support and collaboration to control the outbreak. The US instead escalates a travel ban by barring even lawful permanent residents who traveled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days. The CDC is attempting to increase airport screening but faces staffing and leadership problems, leading officials to ask staff to volunteer for temperature checks and questioning.
"The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread wildly, outpacing the international response efforts sprinting to catch up to the deadly Bundibugyo virus strain. The outbreak was first announced May 15 and is already the third largest recorded. The World Health Organization's latest numbers as of May 24 are 1,018 cases (906 suspected, 112 confirmed) with 234 deaths (223 suspected, 11 confirmed). But these are known to be a significant undercount of the true spread and are also likely out of date by now."
"On Friday, the Trump administration announced it was escalating its controversial travel ban, now barring even lawful permanent residents (green card holders) from entering the country if they have traveled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the 21 days prior. The move is in addition to already barring non-US passport holders with such a travel history. Notably, Uganda has only reported seven cases and one death in the outbreak; there have been no reported cases in South Sudan."
"On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to beef up airport screening for Ebola. But the agency, which lacks a director and other high-ranking leaders, has been ravaged by deep staffing and budget cuts, political interference, and organizational upheaval from the Trump administration. As such, it's having trouble finding the personnel to carry out the airport screens."
"Jay Bhattacharya, the Trump official overseeing the agency for now, resorted to sending an email to CDC staff asking them to volunteer for the task, which involves taking travelers' temperatures and asking them questions. Volunteers can be from any pay grade, Bhattacharya noted in his email."
#ebola #democratic-republic-of-the-congo #public-health-response #travel-restrictions #cdc-airport-screening
Read at Ars Technica
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