Why this Ebola outbreak is a special challenge

More than 1,000 deaths have now been confirmed in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, the second worst in history behind that of Africa 's. West in 2014-2016, which killed more than 11,300 people. Attacks on health workers greatly complicate efforts to contain one of the world's most notorious diseases. At least 85 people have been injured or killed since January.

Here is an overview of why the epidemic is particularly difficult, even as a promising experimental vaccine is widely used for the first time. Nervous health experts are watching the spread of the virus in a dense and highly mobile population near the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

"An underfunded operation creates a very real risk of international spread of the Ebola virus," Fbadina, a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said Saturday. A funding gap of $ 54 million exists, according to the World Health Organization.

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WHAT IS EBOLA?

Ebola is a virus that can spread quickly and can be fatal in 90% of cases. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches and sometimes internal and external bleeding and can begin to occur between two and 21 days after infection, according to the WHO.

At least 1,529 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola were reported in this outbreak reported in August, with 1,008 deaths.

The virus is most often transmitted through close contact with bodily fluids of people with symptoms and with objects such as contaminated leaves. Health care workers are often at risk and burial practices that require close contact with victims can spread the disease.

Although there is no approved treatment for Ebola, early care such as rehydration and other symptoms treatment help to improve the chances of survival. Experimental treatments have been administered to some patients in this epidemic, but their effect has not yet been fully investigated.

An experimental Ebola vaccine has been effective, and WHO has announced that a second vaccine could be introduced. The Congo Ministry of Health said more than 110,000 people had been vaccinated, but some health workers including refused.

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WHY IS THIS OUTBREAK UNIQUE?

Health workers call this the first Ebola outbreak to occur in what is essentially a war zone. Dozens of rebel groups are active in northeastern Congo, killing hundreds of people in recent years. The attacks have resulted in a traumatized population that may be suspicious of strangers.

Some people are wondering why so much attention and money is being spent on Ebola, a disease that has not been seen so far in this part of the Congo, in place of other deadly diseases such as malaria .

In the midst of rumors and misunderstandings, health workers are struggling to explain the importance of safe burials and other preventive measures. One in four people surveyed in eastern Congo a month after the start of the epidemic mistakenly thought that the Ebola virus was not real.

Some people have fled or attacked health workers. A WHO epidemiologist was shot dead last month and doctors threatened to go on strike indefinitely if health workers were attacked again.

The attacks resulted in case peaks and detracted from the painstaking work of finding contacts from infected people. The WHO says that more than 12,000 people are followed every day. And yet, many new cases are unrelated to known cases and many people die at home.

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HOW LONG DOES THIS EPIDEMIC LAST?

It's hard to say. Some health experts have predicted that the epidemic would end within six months. As complications continue to appear, the delay is postponed.

The chairman of the WHO expert committee, who unanimously decided last month – for the second time – that the epidemic was not yet a global emergency said the experts were "moderately optimistic" and that the outbreak could be contained within a "foreseeable time".

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