MOSCOW, October 26 (RIA Novosti) - Asian countries are becoming increasingly concerned about Ebola virus outbreaks due to overpopulation, the number of those living in poverty and underdeveloped health care systems that would leave them unable to contain the disease, ABC News reports.
"This is a non-treatable disease with a very high mortality rate. And even a country like the United States has not been able to completely prevent it," said Indian medical expert Yatin Mehta. "The government is trying. They are preparing and they are training, but our record of disaster management has been very poor in the past."
Countries such as India, the Philippines and Indonesia are expected to be particularly vulnerable to the spread of the disease, as much of their population live in slums which lack clean water and adequate sewage systems, let alone normal medical services.
“This disease does not respect borders, and there are now recent examples of travel-related cases of Ebola,” said WHO representative Dr. Li Ailan in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
Many experts hope to devise systems which are designed to detect the virus and provide a response to a potential outbreak. Some specialists also stress that a constrained quarantine for those returning from the affected regions or even a complete travel ban would be the most efficient measures to prevent the virus from spreading. However, such steps could take a toll on the disease’s treatment in West Africa, as medical workers would be unable or unwilling to go abroad, making the situation worse.
