WHO Alerts Six African Countries Facing Ebola Outbreaks

 

CNBC: White House says Ebola outbreaks in Africa need swift action to avoid ‘catastrophic consequences’ 

 * The White House on Tuesday issued its first official statement on the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the West African country Guinea. 

 * The World Health Organization announced last week that it had confirmed new cases of Ebola in Butembo, a city in North Kivu Province in the DRC. 

 * Separately, officials in Guinea confirmed over the weekend the reemergence of Ebola in N’Zerekore, in southern Guinea. 

The two burgeoning Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea require swift action “to avoid catastrophic consequences,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. 

It’s the first official statement from the White House on the reemergence of Ebola in the two African countries. Psaki said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situations in Central and West Africa. 

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 More News On The Ebola Outbreaks In Africa 

WHO alerts six African countries after Ebola outbreaks -- Reuters 

Ebola: WHO alerts six African nations over new resurgence -- Africa News 

Will The New Ebola Epidemic In Africa Soon Become The Next Global Pandemic? -- Most Important News 

What We Know About the 2021 Ebola Outbreaks -- Matt Stieb, NYMag

Guinea Officially Declares A New Ebola Outbreak

 

DW: Guinea officially declares new Ebola outbreak 

Guinea's Health Ministry has now confirmed a new outbreak of the rare but deadly virus that causes fever, aches, diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding. 

DR Congo has also reported cases. 

The government of Guinea officially declared a new outbreak of Ebola on Sunday. The official confirmation of the outbreak comes after several cases were identified in the West African country. 

The head of Guinea's health agency, Sakoba Keita, said the country was experiencing an Ebola "epidemic situation." 

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 More News On Guinea Officially Declaring A New Ebola Outbreak 

WHO pledges urgent aid after Guinea health officials warn of new Ebola 'epidemic' -- France 24 Guinea facing 'epidemic situation' after seven confirmed cases of Ebola -- Euronews 

Guinea confirms 3 dead from Ebola, first cases since 2016 -- AP 

Guinea Faces First Ebola Outbreak In Years -- NPR 

Guinea declares new Ebola epidemic, first resurgence of disease since 2016 -- FOX News 

Guinea declares new Ebola outbreak after death of three people -- ABC News (Australia) 

Guinea declares new Ebola outbreak; Sierra Leone activates emergency response -- CGTN

Half Of Burundi's Population Has Been Infected With Malaria

Nearly 440,000 people worldwide, mainly children younger than 5, died of malaria last year Image Credit: Supplied

The Guardian: Burundi malaria outbreak at epidemic levels as half of population infected

World Health Organization records 1,800 malaria deaths since start of year, almost equalling number of lives claimed by Ebola in DRC

A serious outbreak of malaria in Burundi has reached epidemic proportions, killing almost as many people as the Ebola crisis in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The outbreak in the tiny Great Lakes country has infected almost half the total population, killing about 1,800 people since the beginning of the year.

According to figures gathered by the World Health Organisation, almost 6 million cases have been recorded since the first week of January to the end of July, with infections reaching crisis levels in May.

The figures look on course to outstrip the epidemic of 2017, when more 6 million cases were recorded for the whole year.

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Update: 5.7 million cases of malaria recorded in Burundi in 2019; 1800 die (Gulf News/AFP)

WNU Editor: When half of your population has been infected with a disease .... it is an epidemic. Why the government of Burundi has refused to declare an emergency is beyond me.

The World's Deadliest Epidemics

The first outbreak to be seen on the map is the Plague of Justinian of 541 and 542. It ravaged areas of modern-day Europe, Northern Africa, and Russia, killing 5,000 people a day at its peak

The World's Deadliest Outbreaks: Interactive Map Shows The Human Cost Of Flu, Bubonic Plague And Ebola Globally Since 541 -- Daily Mail

* Interactive map shows the reach of diseases, as well as death tolls and their symptoms, such as fever and rashes
* It details the world's most deadly outbreaks since 541 - when the Plague of Justinian struck Europe and beyond
* Map also includes modern outbreaks, such as Sars, the flu pandemic of 2009 and most recently, Ebola in Africa

With Africa gripped by the Ebola outbreak, experts are working around the clock to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

From the building of medical centres and tests at airports, to scientists working on diagnostic tests and a vaccine, the fight is underway to contain and treat the disease, which has killed more than 3,800 people so far.

And now, the outbreak has been plotted on an interactive map, which details the world’s most deadly outbreaks since 541 - when plague struck Europe and beyond.

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My Comment: In the scheme of things .... especially in view of man's history with infectious diseases .... Ebola is a minor player.

Ebola Epidemic Deaths Vastly Underestimated

Ebola Epidemic Most Likely Much Larger Than Reported, W.H.O. Says -- New York Times

GENEVA — West Africa’s deadly Ebola epidemic is probably much worse than the world realizes, with health centers on the front lines warning that the actual numbers of deaths and illnesses are significantly higher than the official estimates, the World Health Organization said.

So far, 2,127 cases of the disease and 1,145 deaths have been reported in four nations — Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone — the W.H.O announced Friday. But the organization has also warned that the actual number is almost certainly higher, perhaps by a very considerable margin.

“Staff at the outbreak sites see evidence that the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak,” the group said in a statement on Thursday.

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More News On The Ebola Epidemic

WHO: Toll of Ebola outbreak has been ‘vastly’ underestimated -- Washington Post
WHO: Number affected by Ebola 'vastly' underestimated -- Al Jazeera
Ebola outbreak compared to wartime by Doctors Without Borders -- CBC
Ebola Virus: Outbreak Could Last Six More Months -- WSJ
Ebola crisis to last 'at least six months' - MSF -- BBC
Ebola-hit states plead for more help, WHO rebuked for slow response -- Reuters
Health Officials Try to Quell Fear of Ebola Spreading by Air Travel -- NYT

11 African Nations Agree To Plan To Tackle The Ebola Epidemic

Ebola Outbreak: 11 African Nations Agree To Plan To Tackle Deadly Epidemic -- CNN

(CNN) -- With their countries facing an Ebola epidemic of "unprecedented" proportions, the health ministers of 11 African nations have agreed to a joint strategy to try to stem its deadly advance.

As part of the plan, the World Health Organization will set up a "sub-regional control center" in Guinea -- one of the three West African nations at the heart of the outbreak -- to help coordinate the response.

The strategy was announced late Thursday at the end of a two-day summit in Ghana that brought together ministers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda with health experts, Ebola survivors and WHO representatives.

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More News On West Africa's Ebola Epidemic

U.N.: Ebola outbreak could become pandemic -- WND
West African authorities adopt common strategy to fight Ebola -- Reuters
West Africa states adopt new Ebola strategy -- Al Jazeera
As Ebola virus spreads in West Africa, some blame health workers -- L.A. Times
W. African Ebola epidemic 'likely to last months' -- New Vision
Ebola epidemic unlikely to spread beyond Africa -- CBC
Ebola Virus Outbreak in Africa: Transmission and Symptoms -- IBTimes

Doctors Without Borders: Ebola Virus Is “Totally Out Of Control” In Western Africa

Doctors Without Borders: Ebola Virus Is “Totally Out Of Control” In West Africa -- Legal Insurrection

The international volunteer medical organization Doctors Without Borders has issued a chilling warning — that the deadly Ebola virus is “totally out of control.”

The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with infected people and causes internal bleeding and organ failure. There is no cure or vaccine so infected patients must be quarantined to stop the rapid spread of the virus. According to the World Health Organization, an Ebola outbreak can result in over 90% fatality rates.

Bart Janssens, director of operations for Doctors Without Borders, said Friday that the international community must send in more resources to stop the current Ebola epidemic.

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More News on reports That The Ebola Virus Is “Totally Out Of Control” in Western Africa

Doctors Without Borders: Ebola Out Of Control In West Africa -- IBTimes
Doctors Without Borders: Ebola outbreak 'out of control' -- AP
Ebola outbreak is 'out of control' in West Africa, says medical expert -- Tech Times
Ebola Outbreak 'Tip of the Iceberg,' Experts Say -- NBC

Doctors Without Borders: Guinea Faces An Ebola Epidemic On An Unprecedented Scale

Image: The outbreak of Ebola had centred around Guinea's remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore but it took the authorities six weeks to identify the disease. BBC

Guinea Faces Ebola Epidemic On Unprecedented Scale, Doctors Warn -- The Guardian

Médecins sans Frontières says lethal virus has broken out in areas hundreds of miles apart, while death toll passes 80

Guinea faces an Ebola epidemic on an unprecedented scale as it battles to contain confirmed cases now scattered across several locations that are far apart, the medical charity Médecins sans Frontières said.

The warning from an organisation used to tackling Ebola in central Africa came after Guinea's president appealed for calm as the number of deaths linked to an outbreak on the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone passed 80.

The outbreak of one of the world's most lethal infectious diseases has alarmed a number of governments with weak health systems, prompting Senegal to close its border with Guinea and other neighbours to restrict travel and cross-border exchanges.

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More News On The Spread of The Ebola Virus In West Africa

Ebola Spreads from Guinea to Liberia -- Time
Scale of Guinea's Ebola epidemic unprecedented: aid agency -- Reuters
Scale of Guinea's Ebola epidemic unprecedented, aid agency says -- FOX News
Deadly Ebola Virus Sparks Fears in West Africa -- Voice of America
Ebola Virus Hits Second Country in West Africa -- The Wire
Ebola Outbreak in Guinea Spreads to Liberia, Sierra Leone -- ABC News
Ebola outbreak in Guinea 'unprecedented' - MSF -- BBC
Liberia confirms Ebola's arrival from Guinea -- Al Jazeera
Outbreak of deadly flesh-eating Ebola virus has now spread to three countries and already killed 78 -- Daily Mail
Ebola death toll hits 82 as doctors warn West Africa outbreak is 'unprecedented' -- The Telegraph
Guinea reports Ebola death toll rises to 78 -- AP
Guinea: Ebola death toll reaches 70 -- CNN
Ebola outbreak spreads to Liberia after killing 70 in Guinea -- The Verge

WHO Chief: Novel Coronavirus 'Poses A Threat To The Entire World'

 

New SARS-Like Virus Is A 'Threat To The Entire World' -- CNN 

(CNN) -- A new SARS-like virus recently found in humans is "a threat to the entire world," according to the director-general of the United Nations' World Health Organization.

The so-called novel coronavirus "is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself," Margaret Chan said Monday in her closing remarks at the 66th World Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

The world needs to pull together its resources to properly tackle the virus which, Chan said, is her "greatest concern" at present.

"We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat," she said, and more information is needed "quickly" and "urgently."

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More News On The Novel Coronavirus Posing A Threat To The Entire World  

UN health chief urges global cooperation to tackle novel coronavirus threat -- UN News Centre
WHO Chief Sounds Alarm Over Novel Coronavirus, 'A Threat To The Entire World' -- RTT
WHO calls Middle Eastern virus, MERS, ‘threat to the entire world’ as death toll rises -- New York Daily News First coronavirus sufferer in France dies in hospital -- Reuters
French man, 65, dies from SARS-like virus as World Health Organisation warns deadly disease is global threat -- Daily Mail
A timeline of SARS-like virus -- Global Post/AFP

Is The Latest Bird Flu Virus in China A U.S. Biological Attack?

The American Flu -- Washington Free Beacon

Chinese colonel says latest bird flu virus is U.S. biological weapon.

A Chinese Air Force officer on Saturday accused the U.S. government of creating the new strain of bird flu now afflicting parts of China as a biological warfare attack.

People’s Liberation Army Sr. Col. Dai Xu said the United States released the H7N9 bird flu virus into China in an act of biological warfare, according to a posting on his blog on Saturday.

The charge was first reported in the state-run Guangzhou newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily and then picked up by several news outlets in Asia.

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My Comment: There is no evidence that this a biological attack .... but the Chinese are worried, and it appears that some of them are looking for scape goats.

BREAKING!!!!! Mexico City Closes Schools And Public Events Amid Swine Flu Outbreak: 61 Known Dead, Many Sick -- No Plans To Close U.S./Mexico Border

People wear surgical masks as a precaution against infection inside a subway in Mexico City, Friday, April 24, 2009. Mexican authorities said 60 people may have died from a swine flu virus in Mexico, and world health officials worry it could unleash a global flu epidemic. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

From Reuters:

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A strain of flu never seen before has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico and has spread into the United States, where eight people have been infected but recovered, health officials said on Friday.

Mexico's government said at least 16 people have died of the disease in central Mexico and that it may also have been responsible for 45 other deaths.

The World Health Organization said tests showed the virus in 12 of the Mexican patients had the same genetic structure as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas.

Read more ....

More News On This Epidemic

Mexico City Closes Schools Amid Swine Flu Outbreak -- Wall Street Journal
Swine flu could infect U.S. trade and travel -- Reuters
CDC says too late to contain U.S. flu outbreak -- Alertnet
New, deadly swine flu hits Mexico, U.S. -- Reuters
Swine Flu, Mexico Lung Illness Heighten Pandemic Risk -- Bloomberg
Will Swine Flu Panic Spread Beyond Mexico? -- Time Magazine
Experts Debate Pandemic Potential of Swine Flu -- ABC News
Most Mexico fatal flu victims aged between 25-45 -- Reuters
FACTBOX-Some facts about pandemic flu from the WHO -- Reuters
Q+A - Mexico hit by deadly new flu virus -- Reuters
Questions, answers about swine flu -- AP

My Comment: When I heard this story today .... two things went through my mind. (1) Is terrorism involved? For Mexico this is a very unique event, they have not suffered serious flu epidemics before .... and rumors have always circulated that Al Qaeda was interested in developing biological weapons for terrorism attacks. Was Mexico targeted because of its proximity to the U.S.?

(2) This epidemic is occurring at the end of the flu season. Like the Great Pandemic of 1918, that influenza outbreak started late spring, quieted down during the summer months, and then hit with a ferocity that killed millions in the Fall and Winter seasons of 1918. Are we in for a repeat?