Guinea experiences Ebola outbreak

Guinea has confirmed new Ebola cases in part of its country. There are currently fears that the virus might spread to other places in Guinea and its surrounding countries. The previous Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016 led to hundreds of deaths in the country. 

The outbreak led to the production of two Ebola vaccines that have been registered and approved by the World Health Organization(WHO). In the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC), the vaccine has been proven to be effective against the transmission of the virus among people.   

Fruit bats are the source of the Ebola virus  

The virus is said to originate from fruit bats that live in forest-dense areas. Similar to the coronavirus, the bats are immune to the Ebola virus and act as a form of storage for the deadly virus.

Bat to human infection occurs indirectly when humans come across the infected blood in animals they eat; Cases of Ebola virus have been reported in animals like the monkey and antelope. The infection can also occur directly between the bat and humans.

The Ebola Virus is dangerous to contain because it’s always present in nature. Quick and decisive action has been proven to be the most effective method for containing the virus. It’s also advisable to prevent the spread from the host community to other regions especially as health care systems are currently overwhelmed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Guinea lacks a proper health care system 

Although more people in Guinea have access to proper healthcare, the country’s infrastructure is insufficient to deal with a large-scale Ebola outbreak. 

The country still records high death rates from easily treated diseases. Health care professionals say the country’s previous experience with the virus will assist its healthcare system in dealing with the virus.  

There is also concern over the efficacy of the virus against all the strains of the Ebola virus. The vaccine has only been proven effective against the Zaire Ebola virus.