WASHINGTON, August 8 (RIA Novosti) - The United States Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a level 1 alert for the current Ebola outbreak, CDC Director Thomas Frieden said Thursday, adding that despite the notable challenges, international health agencies are confident the outbreak can be stopped.
“I have activated the CDC Emergency Operations Center at Level One for this outbreak. That is the highest level of response,” Frieden said at an emergency hearing in the House of Representatives on Thursday. “It does not mean there’s an increased risk to Americans. It does mean we are taking efforts to do everything we can to stop the outbreak.”
According to Frieden, the current outbreak is the worst in the known history of the virus.
“It’s unprecedented,” Frieden said. “It’s the largest outbreak ever. In fact, at the current trend, in another few weeks there will be more people in this outbreak than in all previous recognized outbreaks of Ebola put together.”
The current Ebola outbreak has killed over 900 people in the Western African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Last Thursday, the CDC announced a level 3 travel ban, restricting non-essential travel to those regions. It is also working to screen travelers, and educate individuals in the region to prevent further spread of the epidemic.
Frieden also noted that the outbreak could be stopped.
“We can stop Ebola. We know how to do it. It will be a long and hard fight... but we can stop Ebola,” he emphasized. “The challenge isn’t the strategy, but the implementation of it.”
That strategy stipulates first and foremost finding the disease, which includes testing, reporting, and a well-trained staff. Next, response requires emergency operations centers, isolation units, and the staffing and material to do that effectively. Third, according to the CDC, is prevention. Important to prevention is minimizing spillover, promoting biosafety, and encouraging healthful practices, for example safe burial methods.
“Despite improved technologies and knowledge, concerning gaps remain in many countries in the workforce, tools, training, surveillance capabilities, and coordination that are crucial to protect against the spread of infectious disease, whether naturally occurring, deliberate, or accidental,” Frieden concluded in his testimony. “The technology, capacity, and resources exist to make measurable progress across member countries, but focused leadership is required to make it happen.”
This Ebola outbreak is particularly difficult because it is occurring in West Africa, there are many cases in urban areas, making isolation of the disease more difficult. It is also the first case of Ebola entering the United States, which has raised serious concerns about combatting the disease.
