The number of deaths due to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa has passed the 4,000 mark, according to health officials from the outbreak countries.
In a World Health Organization (WHO) update today, a total of 8399 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in seven affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the United States of America) up to the end of 8 October. There have been 4033 deaths.
8376 (probable, confirmed and suspected) cases and 4024 deaths have been reported from the three West African countries.
In related news, in response to the fatality in Kampala, Uganda due to the related filovirus, Marburgvirus, the US State Department issued a warning to travelers to the African nation about Marburg.
“Travelers should exercise caution if visiting or working in areas where the disease is known to be present and immediately report to the nearest health facility if they think they may have been exposed or are exhibiting symptoms consistent with the disease,” the report published on Wednesday said.
Clarifying that Marburg is NOT a new virus, the report stated, “Like Ebola, Marburg virus may be spread through direct contact with body fluids like saliva, urine, or blood of an infected person, or the body of someone who has died from the disease.”
Related: Marburg virus in Uganda: Should we be concerned?
For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
If/once/when Ebola expands outside of West Africa in a major way, it will be time to move to Cuba. Per-capita Cuba has the most doctors, nurses, and conscience (correct spelling) of any nation, even the the Nordic countries — meaning less risk and a higher survival rate if you are unlucky enough to catch it.
Don’t doubt Cuba’s medical skills and training which are as good as Grenada’s ST. GEORGE’S UNIVERSITY . . . Founded as an independent School of Medicine in 1976, St. George’s University has evolved into a top center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies. Students attending St. George’s enjoy the benefits of a thriving multicultural environment on the True Blue campus, offering all the amenities and technologically-advanced facilities of a world-class institution. The University’s over 14,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. In the past three years combined, St. George’s University has placed more doctors into first-year US residency positions than any other medical school.