Home / Health / WHO: No Panic Needed Over Ebola in France
WHO: No Panic Needed Over Ebola in France
24 Jun
Summary
- WHO maintains low global risk assessment for Ebola.
- First Ebola case in France confirmed in a doctor.
- New drug trials for Ebola strain to begin in Congo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has affirmed its low global risk assessment for Ebola, despite the confirmation of the first case in France. This patient is a doctor who had been providing humanitarian aid in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The WHO emphasized that there is no cause for panic, noting that few cases have occurred outside of Africa historically.
The doctor in France is reportedly stable with mild symptoms. While treatment capacity and testing have expanded in Congo, the outbreak continues to outpace response efforts. Challenges include insufficient contact tracing, difficulties with hygienic burials, funding shortages, and an unstable security situation. The number of confirmed cases in Congo has surpassed 1,000, with over 270 deaths.
In a significant development, two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola are set to undergo trials in Congo starting next week. Approximately 1,000 patients who have tested positive will participate in these drug trials for the experimental drug MBP134 and the antiviral remdesivir, as there is currently no specific vaccine or treatment for this strain.
