Deadly disease outbreak kills 2,000 as experts reveal what Americans should know
Even during the massive 2014 West Africa outbreak, which Wohl said infected more than 28,000 people, only four Ebola cases were diagnosed in the U.S. Two were imported cases, and two nurses contracted the virus while caring for an infected patient in Dallas, according to the CDC.
Several other Ebola patients who had been infected and diagnosed overseas were medically evacuated to the U.S. for treatment.
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“We just have so much better public health, healthcare systems, hygiene, access,” Wohl said. “It’s a very different environment.”
Viruses like measles, influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 pose more immediate public health concerns for Americans, he added.
Researchers are actively evaluating novel therapeutics in clinical trials and leveraging advanced mRNA technology to rapidly develop targeted vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain. (Dirole Lotsima Dieudonne/AP)
“The average person who gets a headache or a fever does not need to worry about Ebola,” the doctor said.
For the U.S., potential concerns include the risk to healthcare providers traveling to Africa to assist with containment efforts and the possibility of further instability in the region.
The treatment challenge
Medical researchers are also navigating challenges with virus variants, according to Wohl.
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While treatments and vaccines were successfully deployed against the Zaire strain during the 2014 crisis, the doctor said the Bundibugyo virus circulating in parts of the DRC is genetically different.
As a result, approved Ebola therapeutics are not approved for Bundibugyo-related disease, and their effectiveness against it has not been established.
The average American faces virtually no threat of catching Ebola domestically because transmission requires direct contact with bodily fluids and the U.S. maintains robust public health systems, the doctor said. (iStock)
Researchers are actively evaluating new treatments and vaccine candidates for Bundibugyo virus, Wohl said.
Emerging technologies, including mRNA platforms, could potentially help researchers more rapidly develop vaccines against specific viral threats, according to the doctor.
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Global agencies, including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, continue to monitor the region closely. Wohl emphasized that international support and resource deployment remain critical to stopping the surge.
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“This is a fire that’s raging that continues to be out of control,” Wohl said. “There’s lots of people suffering … and I think more can be done.”
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/deadly-disease-outbreak-kills-2000-experts-reveal-what-americans-should-know