World Health Organization (WHO) has issued warning to Pakistan that Ebola virus could reach the country sooner or later.
The WHO warning stated that it will be major challenge for the country to stop the virus spread.
In the fear of Ebola virus provincial governments have started preparations and isolation wards will be established for the virus.
Minister for health Saira Afzal Tarar has said that screening counters will be established in all the international airports in the country.
Meanwhile, the UN’s Ebola mission chief says the world is falling behind in the race to contain the virus, which has killed more than 4,000 in West Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says 4,447 people have died from the outbreak, mainly in West Africa.
Some key facts about Ebola Virus are;
- Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
- The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
- The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.
- The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in west Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas.
- Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation.
- Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is as yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralise the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development.
- There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but 2 potential candidates are undergoing evaluation.
Sources: 1- WHO http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
2- The News Tribe http://www.thenewstribe.com/2014/10/16/sooner-or-later-ebola-virus-could-reach- pakistanwho-warns-pakistan/
2- The News Tribe http://www.thenewstribe.com/2014/10/16/sooner-or-later-ebola-virus-could-reach- pakistanwho-warns-pakistan/
