Ebola Outbreak Will Worsen, Says Health Expert

The director of the Centers for Disease Control Tom Frieden says the Ebola epidemic currently ravaging West Africa will worsen before it gets better.

The US top officials insisted that in order to handle the ongoing outbreak of the tropical virus first recognized in 1976, the “unprecedented” response would be required, BBC reports.

West African ministers are to meet in Ghana today, August 28, to discuss the ways of dealing with the situation as the death toll caused by Ebola is gradually approaching 1,500, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

In a meeting with the Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose country got mostly affected by the crisis, Frieden said:

“The cases are increasing. I wish I did not have to say this, but it is going to get worse before it gets better. The world has never seen an outbreak of Ebola like this. Consequently, not only are the numbers large, but we know there are many more cases than has been diagnosed and reported.”

The expert stressed the importance of taking “urgent action” and insisted on eliminating the spread of misconceptions connected with Ebola issue.

Meanwhile medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) characterized the international response to Ebola outbreak as “inadequate” and the measures taken as chaotic. The organization criticized world community over caring only about “self-protection” when some states “have the expertise and resources to make a dramatic difference”.

Meanwhile controversial information reaches us regarding the number of Ebola cases in Nigeria. The official sources claimed on August 26 that only one patient with Ebola remained in the country and expressed hope that the epidemic would be eradicated in Nigeria soon.

However yesterday the information surfaced that the death from the virus had been recorded in Port Harcourt, Rivers State: a doctor who secretly treated the diplomat who had contact with Patrick Sawyer (index case) died. According to the report, the first alleged outside-Lagos Ebola incident resulted in quarantine of 70 people in Port Harcourt.

Also yesterday, the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr Sampson Parker debunked the rumours about EVD in the state calling the allegation untrue.