Ebola reaches the Congo

Spread of Ebola: First cases now reported in Congo

08/26/2014

The spread of the Ebola virus seems to be unbroken. The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports the first cases of infection. In addition, the World Health Organization WHO reports that now an employee has been infected with the dangerous virus. „The virus is spreading inexorably“, such a spokesman for the Ministry.

More and more people are getting infected with Ebola. Last Sunday, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Congo reported first cases of illness. The mayor of the city of Goma in eastern Congo, Nason Kabuya Ndowole, also confirmed reports from the local press. According to WHO, the virus has already broken out in the fifth African state.

A spokesperson for the WHO: „To date, 1427 people have died as a result of the Ebola virus infection“. The current epidemic is the most severe outbreak since the discovery of Ebola. Scientists first reported the virus in Congo in 1976.

First WHO employee fell ill with Ebola
WHO reports that an employee in Sierra Leone has become infected. There are still no details about the age, gender and origin of the WHO employee. „We ensure the best possible therapy for the colleague“, it was said in a press release by the WHO. Further information did not want to give the world organization with regard to the privacy of the employee.

For the first time, an English medical assistant had infected himself with the infectious disease. This suffers from the typical Ebola symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, internal and external hemorrhages. The British patient is to be flown out to the United Kingdom according to government information. In London, a special isolation ward was specially set up. There, the man should also be treated with the novel medicines.

According to the attending physicians, it would be the patient „not threatening bad“ go. According to the British Ministry of Health, a medically equipped aircraft of the Royal Air Force is to fly the patient. The transport plane will land at the Oxforter Army Base. The further transport then takes place by car. „There is no danger to the population“, such a government spokesman. The virus is going to be kept in check. The person concerned had already lived and worked in the African country for a long time.

Offensive methods against the spread
The West African countries are fighting unabated and with massive methods against the spread of the virus disease. For example, high prison sentences in Sierra Leone are threatened when friends or relatives hide an Ebola infected person at home. The „Hiding patients“ is punished with at least two years imprisonment, it is said in his government communication. These and other measures had already been decided by Parliament on Friday in a special session. Now only President Ernest Bai Koroma has to approve the bill.

In Nigeria, doctors have been on strike for two months. The background was bad payments and working conditions. However, due to the Ebola epidemic, the doctors now want to return to work. According to statements by the medical association, the government wanted to lay off some 16,000 doctors. Government officials had warned that doctors would violate the Hippocratic Oath and leave patients alone in times of Ebola. Now they have agreed with the government, so that all doctors can return to their jobs. (Sb)

Picture credits: Harald Schottner