Containing Ebola virus

With almost 5,000 deaths from about 14,000 cases since March this year, the Ebola virus syndrome poses one of the greatest healthcare challenges on a global scale, even as the epidemic is concentrated in West Africa. The reason is not far to seek. The virus travels very fast and has no cure. The fact that it could reach the US and create a scary situation says everything about its potential to wreak a havoc. But then Ebola outbreaks are nothing new. These have been happening since 1976, and experts argue that West Africa is more vulnerable because it has weak healthcare and disease surveillance systems. The high rate of fatalities - 25 to 90 per cent – is also ascribed to the fact that the virus causes loss of blood due to internal bleeding and organ damage. This has a cascading effect that can only be managed through administration of intravenous fluids, blood transfusions and ventilator systems to keep the organs functional. This requires a level of patient care that is simply not available in the West African countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Moreover, when medical professionals from other countries reach out to help, they run the risk of exposure to virus via the transfer of body fluids. The cases in US relate to medical professionals who have come back from Ebola-affected places. Although the authorities have tightened the screening process of fliers returning from West Africa, the eruption of the virus has also sparked off a debate within the medical community as to whether aggressive healthcare should be provided to Ebola patients, even at the risk of exposing the care givers to the virus. Considering that India has contacts with West Africa and there are people flying out of that region back home, there is a certain amount of risk of the virus landing on our shores. Right now the risk level is rated as low because the epidemic hits the poorer sections with which the Indian community has almost no contact. But the risk of such virus making an appearance from a third country or through some traveller can never be discounted. In any case, prevention is better than cure. In this respect, Nigeria has shown the way by containing the virus, and has reported only 8 deaths. India too, needs to be prepared for any such outbreak. Apart from setting up screening processes and quarantine facilities at airports, preparatory work should also be taken up especially in urban slums where disease surveillance systems are among the weakest and the chances of a rapid escalation the highest. But at a global level, the best way to tackle the virus is at the place of its origin – West Africa. There should be a concerted effort to prevent the spread of this virus among the affected communities, and all the resources should be pooled together to contain this threat at the root itself.