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Ebola started in DR Congo earlier and officials are playing catch-up, WHO warns - BBC

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Maria Simionescu
ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDamian ZaneReutersHealth workers need to be fully protected as the virus can spread from touching bodily fluids.The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began at least three months before it was officially declared - meaning the health authorities are still playing catch-up, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. More than 1,900 people have died from the virus since that declaration on 15 May, making this the second-worst Ebola outbreak ever. Infection rates are still high, adding to the concern that the authorities are struggling to get to grips with the spread of the disease. The epicentre of this outbreak of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, is in the east of DR Congo where insecurity has hampered control efforts. There is also no approved vaccine or any recognised therapeutic drugs, making treating Bundibugyo harder. "We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us," WHO Africa director Dr Mohamed Janabi said
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at a news conference in the city of Bunia, which is at the heart of this outbreak. He cited research showing that the virus started spreading in February and was initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. Janabi also said that, in part because of insecurity, health workers are only reaching about 30% of the cases with the rest dying at home. Traditional burial practices – where mourners touch the deceased's body - and a suspicion of health authorities in some communities have also made things difficult. But there are now several dedicated treatment centres in the east of DR Congo and people are getting diagnosed much more quickly. So far there have been 4,294 confirmed cases and 1,960 deaths, DR Congo's health ministry has said. The largest recorded outbreak was in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 when 11,325 people died. Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
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Why cyclospora keeps showing up in produce season after season - KSL News

LOGAN — As federal and state officials continue monitoring a cyclospora outbreak, Utah health data shows none of the state's 48 reported cyclosporiasis cases since May have been linked to the current outbreak.Still, cases of the illness appear every year, raising questions about why the parasite continues to contaminate fresh produce.Cyclospora is a parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that comes from ingesting contaminated food and water.According to Utah State University food safety specialist Dr. Jose Brandao, the parasite is particularly common from May through August."I don't have the full answer, but what I understand is that the pathogen prefers these warmer temperatures to incubate," he said.Brandao explained the many ways human waste can enter agricultural water sources."We can have leakage from sewage into groundwater.

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A 25-year Northwestern study of people over 80 with memory as sharp as adults decades younger found that diet and exercise habits varied widely among them, but strong social connection was the one trait they consistently shared - Silicon Canals

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