Africa CDC chief warns Ebola outbreak could reach UK as cases pass 10,000
Jean Kaseya says the outbreak’s spread across three African regions calls for stronger preparedness and more funding. His warning does not establish that Ebola has reached the UK.
Africa CDC director-general Jean Kaseya warned on 28 October that an Ebola outbreak spanning three African regions could reach the UK and other countries, according to The Guardian. His warning comes as reported infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo have passed 10,000, raising the stakes for efforts to contain its spread.
Kaseya called the outbreak’s geographic extension ‘unprecedented’ and said it was the first time Ebola had affected three African regions. He compared the risk of wider international spread with the early spread of Covid and urged governments to strengthen preparedness. The comparison was a warning about potential spread, rather than a report of a UK infection.
How far has the Ebola outbreak spread?
Congolese health authorities recorded 10,060 infections and 4,887 deaths since the virus was first detected in May, according to AFP reporting published by RTÉ. The outbreak is the deadliest in the DRC’s history. The figures describe the toll reported by the authorities; Kaseya’s warning concerns the risk of further spread beyond the countries already affected.
Cases have also been detected in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, AFP reported. Deutsche Welle reported nine confirmed infections in Kenya, including two deaths, and an infection in Nigeria in a Swiss woman who became ill after visiting Uganda. Authorities were investigating where she contracted the virus. These reports show why containment now involves countries across eastern, western and central Africa.
What is making the response harder?
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, for which there was no approved vaccine or specific treatment, according to AFP and Deutsche Welle. DW reported that trials were under way for two antiviral approaches and to test whether the Ervebo vaccine protects against Bundibugyo. Ervebo is approved for the different Ebola virus formerly known as Zaire ebolavirus.
Health workers face security risks as well as the medical challenge. A nurse was killed and another health worker injured while responding to an Ebola alert in the DRC’s Tshopo province late last week, ABC News reported, citing an announcement by World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Kaseya appealed for more funding for the response. He said governments had pledged $3bn, with more than $2bn still outstanding, while African countries had committed $120m, The Guardian reported. Those funding figures are his account of the pledges, rather than independently verified payments.
Africa CDC scheduled a virtual meeting of African health ministers for 28 October, ABC News reported. Kaseya said the response ‘must move faster’ as infections crossed borders. The scheduled meeting was a next step in the response; its outcome was not established at the time of the report.
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Sources and context
- Africa’s ‘unprecedented’ Ebola outbreak could reach UK, says top health officialThe Guardian
- Africa Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 confirmed casesAFP, republished by RTÉ
- Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 cases in DRC after nurse killed, another injuredABC News Australia
- Ebola cases exceed 10,000 in DR Congo as infections are confirmed in Kenya and NigeriaDeutsche Welle
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.