Two humanitarian aid workers in Italy have presented with suspected cases of Ebola after returning from a three-month trip to Uganda. A health alert has been activated in the northern Lombardy region as a result.
Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa
The development comes as a deadly strain of the Ebola virus spreads rapidly across central Africa, with no protective vaccine available. More than 900 suspected cases and 119 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including three Red Cross volunteers believed to have contracted the virus while handling deceased individuals.
Both Italian aid workers have developed symptoms consistent with Ebola, including high fever, nausea, vomiting, and intestinal problems. They have been transferred to Milan's Sacco Hospital, a specialist facility for managing high-risk infectious diseases.
Uncertain Diagnosis
Lombardy's regional welfare minister, Guido Bertolaso, stated that there is "still no certainty that this is Ebola" and expressed hope that tests would return negative. Doctors are also considering a form of malaria as a more likely diagnosis, possibly cerebral malaria in the case of the 30-year-old woman, who may require intensive care. The woman, from Lurate Caccivio, has developed severe symptoms including a very high fever and mild neurological issues. The man, from Bulgarograsso, is displaying milder symptoms such as a temperature of around 38°C and gastrointestinal problems.
In an official statement, the Italian Health Ministry said the risk of Ebola in Italy "remains very low." A meeting of the European Commission's Health Security Committee was held recently to discuss the Ebola emergency in Africa.
Spread and Response
All flights to and from Bunia, the eastern DRC city where most cases and deaths have occurred, have been grounded. However, experts believe the virus may have already spread to nearby nations such as South Sudan. In previous outbreaks, Ebola has killed more than half of those infected, many due to internal bleeding and organ failure.
There is currently no vaccine that protects against the Ebola variant driving the outbreak, known as Bundibugyo. A life-saving jab exists for the more common Zaire variant, but not for this strain. Scientists at Oxford University are racing to develop a Bundibugyo vaccine, but warn it will take two to three months before testing on humans, meaning patients in Africa are unlikely to receive the drug within the next six months. A successful vaccine would likely protect patients from severe illness and death and limit the spread of the virus, but there is no guarantee the experimental jab will be effective.
Global Risk Assessment
While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has escalated its risk assessment for the DRC to "very high," it maintains that the risk at the global level remains low. The UK has announced up to £20 million to help contain the outbreak in the eastern DRC. UK health officials have also activated a Returning Workers Scheme, where healthcare workers returning from Ebola outbreak regions are monitored for signs of the disease once back in the UK.
However, experts have warned that the UK is unprepared for an Ebola outbreak. Dr. Derek Sloan, an infectious disease expert at St Andrew's University and a spokesman for UK-Med and Healthy World, Secure Britain, emphasised the need for vigilance and preserved funding. "This outbreak, along with recent Hantavirus cases on a cruise ship and meningitis infections in the UK, shows how important it is that we stay vigilant and use effective public health tools to protect our populations," he said. "Infectious disease outbreaks such as these in our interconnected world cannot be dismissed as someone else's problem. These examples show how important it is to maintain this expertise and underline the need to preserve funding for global health and international aid."
