Ebola spikes again in Guinea, Sierra Leone: WHO

[inanna]

Source: AFP

1 hour ago

Geneva (AFP) - The number of Ebola cases has risen in Guinea and Sierra Leone for the second consecutive week, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

In Guinea, 16 new cases were found in the week ending June 7, with 15 more found in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

In the previous week, 13 new cases had been found in Guinea, a clear increase on the nine reported a week before that.

The pattern was similar in Sierra Leone, where 12 new cases were found in the last week of May compared to only three the previous week.

"This is the second consecutive weekly increase in case incidence," the WHO said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/ebola-spikes-again-guinea-sierra-leone-191945612.html

[uppityperson]

2. maybe they can get hold of it before it goes really bad again there, before too many die

Hopefully WHO, etc, and the people have learned something in the last year. Best wishes to those in the area.

[Warpy]

3. It was so terrible last year

that people even out in the remote villages have changed some of their behaviors, like close contact with the corpse of anyone who might have died of it. They are reporting this one sooner rather than later, which should also help.

I never expected it to go away completely, I'm afraid. Some modified behaviors, like getting bats off the menu and changing funeral practices, will decrease the number of cases, but won't stop them completely. Early reporting might help stop the spread among family members and allow more people to survive with treatment.

It's getting into the heavy rain season there, a perfect time for it to return.

[uppityperson]

4. Why does it return in rainy season? Because people hang out together?

It won't go away, but if it can be managed better, that'd be wonderful. More resources to treat, isolate, educate.