NEW YORK, July 31 (RIA Novosti) – An outbreak of Ebola in West Africa that has already claimed more than 700 lives is “worsening” and will be difficult to halt, said Tom Frieden, director of the US Government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The bottom line is Ebola has been worsening in West Africa. CDC and others are surging a response to turn the tide. It’s not going to be quick. It’s not going to be easy,” Frieden told journalists during a telephone briefing on Thursday.
“Even in a best-case scenario it could take three to six months or more. Given the weak healthcare and systems and violence some areas have seem, we’re not in the best circumstances.”
The outbreak began in southern Guinea in February and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has killed 729 people, the UN says. Sierra Leone has declared a public health emergency while other countries have beefed up monitoring at airports.
“In past outbreaks we’ve been able to stop every outbreak. But it takes meticulous work. It’s like fighting a forest fire. If you leave behind even one burning ember, one case undetected, it could reignite the epidemic,” Frieden added.
