00:00An outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo has alarmed experts with its late detection and quick spread.
00:09So what do we know about this strain of the disease, which has no vaccine?
00:13Ebola is a severe and often fatal virus that causes fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea.
00:21It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials.
00:28According to the World Health Organization, the average fatality rate is around 50%, varying from 25% to 90%
00:38in past outbreaks.
00:40This is Congo's 17th outbreak since the disease was first discovered in 1976.
00:47All but one of the previous outbreaks was the more common Zaire strain.
00:51This time, however, it's the Bundabujo strain.
00:55And that delayed detection of this outbreak, says Jean-Jacques Moyembe-Tamphom.
01:03The risk is very high that the next pandemic will start from the DRC.
01:11Our system is very weak at detecting an outbreak.
01:16He was one of the co-discoverers of the disease half a century ago, and is now Director General of
01:22Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research.
01:25They used the techniques we had used for the 2018 outbreak.
01:35And for that, we used a device called the Gene Expert with specific cartridges for Ebola Zaire.
01:42And so, these Ebola Zaire cartridges did not recognize Ebola Bundabujo.
01:51The Bundabujo strain has no approved virus-specific therapeutics or vaccine.
01:57On Sunday, the World Health Organization declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
02:05That's because of the high risk the disease could spread further beyond Congo's borders.
02:10The outbreak is centered on the Etiri province of conflict-hit Eastern Congo, and is suspected to have already killed
02:18dozens of people.
02:20Cases have been confirmed in Kampala, the capital of neighboring Uganda.
02:25Reuters bureau chief for West and Central Africa, Robi Koribule, said the situation has been complicated by conflict and cross
02:34-border trade in the area.
02:36So, there's people moving around, you know, at all times, across large distances, which will potentially, you know, complicate any
02:44efforts to contain this, and to trace all of the potential cases.
02:49The International Rescue Committee, a M├йdecins Sans Fronti├иres, have said they're sending teams to respond to the outbreak.
02:55The WHO said additional supplies of protective equipment are being brought into the country.
03:01But on Sunday, Congo's health minister said a key tool to fight Ebola is vigilance.
03:07This is not a mystical disease, said Samuel Roger Kamba on a visit to Etiri's capital, Bunya.
03:17Make yourself known so that you can be taken care of, and so that we can prevent the disease from
03:22spreading.
03:23The COVID-19 crisis must be externalized.
03:24It's really the message.
03:25?
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