Ebola Global Emergency - Low Risk in Europe

Global emergency Ebola: danger low in Europe

09/08/2014

Almost 1,000 lives have already claimed the Ebola epidemic that is rampant in West Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now responded with its strongest instrument and declared the epidemic an international health emergency. The danger is in Europe „extremely low.“

Nearly 1,000 deaths from Ebola epidemic
The Ebola epidemic, which has been rampant in West Africa for months, has already claimed nearly 1,000 lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now responded with its strongest instrument and declared the disease an international health emergency. The UN organization can now enact legally binding rules to combat the epidemic under international law. A total of 1,779 confirmed and suspected cases were reported to the WHO by the affected countries by 6 August, and 961 people are reported to have died.

Propagation to other parts of the world must be prevented
Now all states are committed and urged to be more involved in controlling the disease in West Africa, both with money and with medicines, medical facilities and professionals. As the Director-General of WHO, Margaret Chan in Geneva, said, it is essential to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the world. The countries that are already affected would need a lot of help. Chan said according to a message from the news agency dpa: „They just do not have the capacity to cope with a burst of this size and complexity.“

Curb eruption at the earliest in three to six months
The head of operations of the aid organization Doctors Without Borders, Bart Janssens responded to the new measures of the UN organization: „Explaining Ebola as an International Health Emergency shows how seriously WHO is breaking out; but statements do not save lives.“ He further said: „It cost lives that too slow was traded.“ Doctors Without Borders is working with more than 670 helpers. The US epidemic has estimated that more people will be affected by the current Ebola epidemic than any other outbreak previously. The Director of the US Disease Control Authority CDC, Dr. Tom Frieden assumes that the outbreak can be contained in three to six months at the earliest.

Decision makes border-closures possible, among other things
Ms. Chan followed her decision with a recommendation from the WHO Emergency Committee's viral and pest experts. According to the health regulations agreed by the WHO member states in 1969, inter alia quarantine measures such as the closure of borders and restrictions on international travel would be possible. As stated in the recommendation catalog of the Emergency Committee, so far no general prohibitions on travel or international trade are required. The WHO said that all states should take preventative measures to detect Ebola cases quickly and isolate and treat infected people. Among other things, this includes the investigation of travelers from Ebola regions such as airports and border crossings.

At the Frankfurt airport is informed about Ebola
There has already been a response at Frankfurt Airport, where Ebola information material for passengers from Nigeria is to be provided to explain the Ebola symptoms, transmission routes and the course of the disease. According to the WHO, the first symptoms of Ebola infection are observed after an incubation period of two to 21 days. The infectious disease usually starts with flu-like symptoms such as limb pain, headache, sore throat and fever. In the further course it comes with affected persons to massive diarrhea, blood in the stool and urine, nausea and vomiting as well as internal and external bleeding.

Danger for Europe „extremely low“
Several authorities and institutions reiterated that Ebola posed no threat to Europe's people. EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said that the risk to citizens in the EU „extremely low“ be. Of the affected West African countries Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, only Liberia and Sierra Leone have so far declared a state of emergency. The WHO has only three times an international health emergency called. Currently due to Ebola and previously in May 2014 due to the spread of polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan and in 2009 due to the expansion of the swine flu. (Ad)