The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may have started months before it was officially declared. Experts warned that the virus remaining inactive for a long time has made fighting the epidemic even more difficult.
“Elchi” reports that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the Ebola epidemic, officially declared in May, had actually been spreading since January.
Although the first confirmed case was observed in a healthcare worker in April, it is estimated that the virus has been spreading silently for months.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus causing the epidemic.
Therefore, the WHO emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, contact tracing, and supportive care.
Authorities have raised the level of international alert due to cases observed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda.
The WHO designated the epidemic as a “public health emergency of international concern” but stated that the criteria for a global pandemic have not yet been met.
One of the biggest challenges in fighting the epidemic is insufficient contact tracing. It is reported that in some regions, it is impossible to reach a significant portion of contacts due to security issues, population mobility, and distrust of healthcare teams. Experts state that the rate of contact tracing must be significantly increased to bring the epidemic under control.
According to WHO data, hundreds of suspected cases and numerous deaths have been recorded in recent weeks. The organization has warned that the number of infections in the region may be higher than reported and has requested support from the international community to prevent the epidemic.
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