The U.S. News covered the ever growing
concern about the Ebola breakout in the Congo. The death toll from this
concerning outbreak has reached 31 people. Just in this past week the
casualties had doubled, making many health experts and the UN health agency start
declaring that “this situation is serious”. The initial cause of the outbreak of
this disease has yet to be determined. However, facts on how Ebola gets spread
are fairly certain. It can be transferred easily through human contact.
Traditional funeral practices in the region are the primary speculation as to
how this disease is getting spread. The diseased bodies are washed and then put
on display before burial to show respect. Doctors Without Borders are actively trying
to spread the warning and educate the people in the region how to insure that
Ebola does not become a part of their lives. Quarantine centers are being put
into effect and a strong effort is being put into action to contain, fight, and
lay this outbreak to rest.
Ebola is a disease that has been around
since 1976. It seems as though the traditions of the Congo are very strong and don’t
seem to be budging because of disease outbreaks like this one. In an article
from NPR, the Congo has had 8 outbreaks of Ebola since 1976. Even with this
many deaths, the Congo still puts themselves at risk with their traditional
funerals. This outbreak could be easily spread, and if it gets out hand it
could spread to other countries and devastate even larger populations. A
situation like this cannot be taken lightly or be attacked slowly. A relatively
small amount of infected people can grow to be something beyond controllable.
In NPR’s article, a WHO spokesman described his worse fears “the outbreak was ‘out
of control’ and ‘if nothing is done now, the disease will reach other places,
and even major towns will be threatened.’”
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