Ebola outbreak worries WHO about ‘scale and speed’: what to know

Ebola, which the World Health Organization describes as a serious and often fatal disease that affects humans and other primates, has claimed 130 lives as of May 19, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday expressed concern about the speed and scale of the outbreak as the number of infections continues to rise.As Reuters reported, there are currently at least 500 suspected cases of Ebola linked to the outbreak.Declaring it a “public health emergency” in a social media post on Sunday, Tedros said the outbreak did not yet meet the criteria for a global pandemic emergency, but warned that neighboring countries remained at high risk of further spread.What caused the outbreak and how does the virus spread?According to health authorities, the current outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare strain of Ebola for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.The World Health Organization says the virus is transmitted to humans through contact with infected wild animals such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates.Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, or organs of infected individuals, as well as through contaminated materials such as bedding and clothing.

The World Health Organization issues advice to affected countriesThe World Health Organization advised affected countries to activate national emergency response systems and establish emergency operations centers to effectively address the outbreak.The agency also urged governments to ensure sustainable community engagement through local leaders, religious figures and traditional healers.According to the World Health Organization, awareness campaigns and community engagement should be strengthened to help identify and address cultural practices that may contribute to the spread of the virus.