For individuals traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the CDC released a warning.
For individuals traveling to regions where the Ebola epidemic is underway, the CDC released a level two alert.
Last week, Ebola was proclaimed a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) Trusted Source.
The disease was on the increase in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is uncommon but highly lethal.
In the previous year or so, according to the Congo Health Ministry, Ebola has infected about 2,500 individuals and murdered nearly 1,700.
And the virus spread across the Congo frontier to Uganda just last
Now more neighboring regions — including South Sudan, Burundi, and Rwanda — are on guard over issues that could spread the lethal virus to their territories as well.
By declaring the virus an emergency, the WHO is hoping to push financing, resources, and more health employees into the region to end the disastrous epidemic.
“The outbreak has been smoldering for over a year because it has been hard to perform routine public health activities necessary to control disease spread due to political instability in the affected region in Eastern DRC,” Dr. Chris Woods, a professor of medicine and global health at Duke University, told Healthline.
“The recent cases identified in Uganda and in the large city of Goma on the DRC/Rwandan border highlight the potential for regional spread if the local outbreak is not controlled,” he said.
Here’s why Ebola is so destructive
According to Dr. Shanthi Kappagoda, an infectious disease expert at Stanford Health Care, an Ebola epidemic generally begins when someone gets into contact with an infected animal, such as a primate or bat.
Through contact with the body fluids of an infected person (such as vomit, urine, blood, feces, semen, or breast milk), it can spread from humans to humans.
Typically, symptoms start with fever, headache, or body aches before advancing into nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Eventually, the patient’s body may go into shock. The organ systems — such as the liver and kidneys — may begin to shut down, Kappagoda notes.
Ebola is very fatal. It has a fatality rate of 50% on average. The average fatality rate in previous outbreaks ranged from 25% to 90% Trusted
“It can be devastating because of the high death rate, and because it occurs in areas where healthcare systems may already be under strain,” Kappagoda explained.
Take special precautions in at-risk areas
A level two travel notification has been published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for individuals heading to Congo.
In brief, a level two notice indicates that, while visiting at-risk regions, tourists take unique safety steps.
While tourists do not need to prevent Congo or neighboring nations such as Uganda or Rwanda, health authorities entirely suggest steering clear of impacted regions such as North Kivu and Ituri.
If you’re traveling to Congo, being additional alert and cautious is essential
“It is essential that all travelers to the region remain aware of public health updates as they are made available. One should have heightened situational awareness of the health of others when traveling and should seek care if they think they have been exposed or develop a persistent fever,” Woods said.
Here’s what to do if you’re traveling
Overall, as health specialists say, Ebola is highly uncommon in tourists.
“It is not an easy virus to get. It does not get transmitted through the air like the influenza virus does,” Dr. Joseph Vinetz, an infectious disease expert with Yale Medicine, told Healthline.
For example, if someone were to cough on or near you, you wouldn’t get Ebola, he says.
To contract the virus, you would need to contact the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. The best thing you can do is prevent contact with the liquids of other people.
Stay away from any products that may have come into touch with a sick individual, such as clothing, needles, medical equipment or bedding
Do not take part in any funeral operations that would require you to touch the remains of humans, as you can still get the disease from the dead.
According to the CDC, it is also a good idea to consider receiving insurance coverage for travel health or medical evacuation.
Pay attention to your health for approximately 21 days after your trip. If you notice any symptoms, create an appointment with your doctor instantly.
Be sure to call before you visit the hospital or clinic and inform your healthcare provider about your latest trip so that they can also safeguard themselves.
There’s a vaccine available for healthcare workers
Healthcare workers are at greatest danger of contracting the virus as they work with individuals with Ebola.
If you’re going on a mission trip or traveling specifically to help or treat people who have Ebola, you may qualify for an experimental, compassionate-use vaccineTrusted Source , according to Vinetz.
“The vaccine is available for people who basically have been in contact or expected to be in contact with Ebola patients,” Vinetz said.
The hope is to build a “ring” around the infected patients of immunized individuals to prevent the spread of the virus.
It’s thought to be extremely effective, but because it’s an experimental vaccine and isn’t being given in a clinical setting, it’s hard to evaluate just how well it works, Vinetz notes.
Nevertheless, the fresh vaccine, in relation to the emergency statement, is a successful move towards ending the disastrous epidemic in Congo.
The bottom line
Last week, due to the increasing and lethal outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Ebola a worldwide health emergency.
The disease has infected about 2,500 individuals over the previous year and murdered almost 1,700 individuals. Travelers should stay clear of impacted regions, such as North Kivu and Ituri, and if they visit the region, take special precautionary steps.