Not likely Ebola will reach Caribbean says CARPHA Director

Sep 18, 2014 News

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– but preparatory measures ongoing

While battling the Chikungunya virus may be an enormous task in itself, the local health sector, like others in the

Caribbean, has been called upon to prepare for the deadly Ebola Virus. This is despite the belief of Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr. James Hospedales, that it is unlikely that the Ebola virus will reach the Caribbean or these shores for that matter.
According to him though, the Trinidad-based CARPHA together with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) have been together advising Caribbean territories on the steps to take to prepare for Ebola which has for the past months been plaguing sections of West Africa. Dr. Hospedales, during an interview with this publication, disclosed that currently the primary focus is on containment which is detailed in the International Health Regulations. The Regulations has guidelines that speak to monitoring of ports of entry, infection control in the hospitals and the need to educate the public on the virus.
Moreover, the CARPHA Director is convinced that “we are practically prepared. But if Ebola were to reach here we are still not as fully prepared as we need to be.”  For this reason, he disclosed that CARPHA, with support, is currently preparing a series of recommendations for Heads of Governments that will outline measures that must be taken. This, according to Dr. Hospedales, will also address the need for investments that will be required in order to have secure regional health security. Once the various measures detailed in the International Health Regulations are adhered to, Dr. Hospedales is confident that “we will be in a much better position to say we are fully prepared…right now we are partially prepared.”
And should Ebola find its way into the Caribbean tomorrow, the CARPHA Director noted that it would mean that “somebody who travelled from an affected area brought it…it is not spread by birds or mosquitoes, it is spread by direct contact.”
Moreover, Dr. Hospedales disclosed that countries of the Region have been exposed to training programmes and information that will help them identify the symptoms of the virus. “So what happens is that the training and the information that has been provided will help to detect persons with symptoms and they will have to be treated in isolation…strict infection control procedures will have to be applied and persons must wear protective equipment to reduce transmission,” said Dr. Hospedales.
He spoke of the need for “contact tracing” whereby anyone who develops symptoms of the virus will have to be closely monitored.  “So quite a bit of that is in place…one of the things that was discussed with the Chief Medical Officers of the Region, is to actually do some simulations exercises so that if this happens,” said Dr. Hospedales, even as he pointed out that “it is unlikely that the virus will come but if it happens, we are even better prepared.”
According to WHO, the virus formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans; It is transmitted to people from wild animals through contact with their blood, secretion, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals.  It then spreads in the human population through human to human transmission.
Based on reports out of the WHO, the current strain of the virus is believed to have come from fruit bats that passed it on when they were eaten by primates or humans.
It is also the belief of the WHO that pig farms may also play a role in transmitting the current strain of the virus, as pigs can come in contact with fruit bats and pass on the infection to farmers.
Interesting to note, though, is that the virus manifests in similar ways to common viruses such as dengue fever and even flu. For instance, the WHO outlines that among the signs and symptoms are the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
As it progresses, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function can develop as can internal and external bleeding. And according to the WHO, once infected, persons could start manifesting symptoms between two and 21 days.
Although endemic to parts of Africa since the first outbreak about three decades ago, there is no sure guarantee that the virus cannot migrate to other parts of the world. Moreover, it has been recommended by the WHO that Ministries of Health around the world take necessary precautions. And primary among the recommendations that have been circulating is the importance of maintaining sanitary conditions and accessing health care.
Reports suggest that there is no known cure for the Ebola virus and therefore about 90 per cent of all persons infected are likely to die.

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