The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that the virus is “spreading faster than a response”
Credit: Glody MURHABAZI / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- There are currently over 220 suspected deaths linked to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the CDC said on Tuesday, May 26
- The health agency is screening travelers from Central African countries for Ebola symptoms at major U.S. airports
- An aid group based in New York has warned that the Ebola outbreak could become “the deadliest on record” without urgent international action
An aid organization has warned that the Ebola outbreak could become the "deadliest on record,” amid reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent an “urgent request” to recruit staff to screen travelers at U.S. airports.
The internal email, which was obtained by ABC News, was sent by the acting CDC Director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and detailed how it needed personnel to vet passengers who have come from Central African countries for signs of the deadly virus.
An official from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the authenticity of the email to the outlet.
Public health entry screening for Ebola is currently taking place at Washington-Dulles International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, according to ABC News and a CDC press release published on Saturday, May 23.
Credit: Glody MURHABAZI / AFP via Getty
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths linked to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a United Nations (UN) spokesperson said on Tuesday, May 26.
A CDC update shared on May 26 said that there are currently 906 suspected cases in the DRC with 105 confirmed cases, 223 suspected deaths and 10 confirmed deaths. In Uganda, there are seven confirmed cases and one confirmed death.
The New York-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the virus is “spreading faster than a response” in a press release shared on Tuesday.
It stated that the “rapidly escalating outbreak could become the deadliest on record without urgent international action” and called for international funding and coordination to contain the virus.
Earlier this month, the WHO declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern, but added that the outbreak doesn't currently meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.
Ebola has a mortality rate of up to 90%, per the CDC. It's caused by a collection of viruses called orthoebolaviruses. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has a mortality rate of up to 50%, according to the British Red Cross.
The virus spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person — alive or dead. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it can also spread by touching items, such as clothing or bedsheets, that have been in contact with body fluids.
Symptoms can appear as late as 21 days after contact with an infected person, and begin with "dry" symptoms such as fever, joint and muscle pain, headaches and fatigue.
Credit: Glody MURHABAZI / AFP via Getty
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The disease then progresses to "wet" symptoms, which, along with vomiting and diarrhea, include bleeding from the eyes, mouth, nose, and rectum.
The WHO says a vaccine for this particular strain could take up to nine months before it is ready, per the British Red Cross.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, wrote a statement on X on Wednesday, May 27, urging all warring parties in the DRC to agree to an immediate ceasefire to help contain the virus.
“The Ebola Bundibugyo virus has no approved vaccine nor treatment,” he wrote. “Stopping this Ebola transmission depends entirely on humanitarian access. Yet ongoing clashes are driving mass displacement, pushing exposed contacts into overcrowded camps and severing critical containment corridors. Frontline workers are risking everything, while attacks on health facilities make tracking cases and their contacts nearly impossible.”
“We cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling,” he said. “We urge all warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to contain this outbreak. To allow us safe and sustained access for medical teams. We plea to prioritize human survival above everything else.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the CDC for comment.
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