Linda Poon, of NPR, explains how the largest outbreak of Ebola in Africa in seven years, is following an unusual pattern in, Why Is Guinea's Ebola Outbreak So Unusual?
Doctors Without Borders has called the current outbreak of the in Guinea "unprecedented" — not because of the number of victims (so far at least 78 have died) but because the disease has traveled to various parts of the country. The (which includes the capital city of Conakry) is at least unusual, the World Health Organization agrees, and presents more challenges than usual to the medical team seeking to contain the virus.
To learn more, we spoke with Esther Sterk, a tropical medicine adviser for . She's been on the ground during past Ebola outbreaks in Africa and, from her base in Geneva, is helping coordinate efforts to quash this one. Sterk believes the infection may have spread more than usual because it's easy for people to travel from place to place in Guinea, including from the southern part of the country (where the first cases were reported) to the capital. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
The recent Ebola outbreak started in southern Guinea, but has spread. Authorities have recorded 122 suspected cases so far and 78 deaths.
The recent Ebola outbreak started in southern Guinea, but has spread. Authorities have recorded 122 suspected cases so far and 78 deaths.
Concern is escalating in the international community as
Saudi Arabia suspends visas over Guinea Ebola outbreak:
Visas suspended for Muslim pilgrims from Guinea and Liberia due to contagious nature of deadly disease
The Saudi health ministry recommended the measure "due to the danger of the disease and its highly contagious" nature, the state news agency SPA reported.
The World Health Organisation has said it is not recommending travel or trade restrictions to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, which has reported suspected cases of Ebola, based on information currently available.
Muslims perform the hajj pilgrimage to the Saudi city of Mecca once a year, but they can make the minor umrah pilgrimage to the kingdom all year round.
The World Health Organization, and Doctors Without Borders has established containment perimeters with government health in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.
Tue Apr 01, 2014 at 9:45 PM PT: Crashing the Estates: The Rise of Corporate Powered Politics and The Daily Kochs" (Humor)
Tue Apr 01, 2014 at 10:10 PM PT: I'm wondering if a reason this Ebola outbreak may be taking breaking out in an odd pattern is that is could be spreading from multiple vectors, not only the traditional human to human contact after one bat or monkey transmission to humans but multiple transmissions across the region.
I've read that the fisheries in the region are collapsing so local population are turning to unusual food sources. The bat population may have become infected across a large region perhaps leading to this unusual pattern of multiple outbreak points. This may make this outbreak harder to contain.
