At this Moment, many people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been waiting for: On Monday a vaccination campaign begins with a new vaccine. This could reach wider layers of the population than in the past.
For over a year, the world’s second-largest Ebola epidemic is raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More than 3200 people have been infected with the Virus. So far, 2144 Infected have died.
But now there are two good news: on the one Hand, the world reports the health organization that the number of reported new infections going back. Only 14 people had been confirmed in the first week of October. That would be the lowest number in a year. At the peak of the epidemic in April 2019, the number of new infections stood at 126 per week.
All the recently reported cases are, therefore, in a relatively limited area, close to the Ugandan border. It is a geographic triangle between the towns of Mambasa/Mandima, Komanda and Oicha. Of all things civil, however, there is a war, which makes it difficult for Doctors and helpers in the work.
More: the struggle for the right vaccination strategy
Tropical doctor, Marylyn Addo is confident that the new vaccine helps the epidemic to limit.
Large population parts in hazard zones
The second piece of good news relates especially to the South in major cities of Beni and Goma: From Monday, 14. October will be using Doctors, there is a new vaccine, the company Johnson & Johnson, which is better than the previous vaccine, VSV-EBOV the company Merck, for a broad prophylaxis.
“The vaccines differ in the strategy but it’s very impressive,” says Marylyn Addo. “With the currently used vaccine you need to vaccinate only once, and the Vaccination occurs very quickly. The new vaccine consists of two components that need to be administered at a distance of eight weeks.”
The Professor heads the section of infectious diseases at the University hospital in Hamburg-Eppendorf at the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for tropical medicine, emerging infectious diseases.
More on this: Germany supports the fight against Ebola in Africa
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadFirst infections in the city
The message of the first Ebola cases in the city of Goma in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is disturbing. In densely populated areas, it falls to the deadly Virus especially easy to spread rapidly. Women and children are particularly vulnerable; weak organisms are more susceptible to infection with Ebola.
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadCross-Border Risk
Ebola is highly contagious, makes any national borders. So the concern that the spread of the deadly virus in Rwanda, its geographical proximity to Goma because of the particularly large. Briefly, therefore, the border crossing was closed. Uganda has been affected: In the neighboring country of Congo, the first people are also sick.
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadWar and poor infrastructure
Medical assistants to go to their limits, the spread of the virus to contain, and provide for the Sick. The tense political situation and armed conflicts in some regions of the Republic, however, hinder the fight against Ebola for aid workers. But also the poor infrastructure and the distrust of the population exacerbate the crisis.
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadThe first symptoms
The first symptoms of the Ebola-Infected high fever, head and body aches – are similar to those of a flu. In the course of the disease, internal bleeding and organ failure – the result: the death of the patient. A person is infected, are limited treatment options. In order to protect the fellow human beings, appeal to the authorities to the population: report, don’t hide!
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadVaccination is the only protection
Since 2015, there is a vaccine that is supposed to have according to the WHO assessments a “nearly exact” effect. However, large parts of the population of the vaccination distrust, some even believe that the disease was a staging of the government, to get donations. Also, transportation is difficult, because the cooling chain of -80 degrees Celsius may be interrupted at any time.
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadVaccinate – and more
Organizations and volunteers are working at full speed to be faster than the Virus. Their prevention work goes far beyond the to Vaccinate in addition. In addition to the Distribute of protective suits and gloves is also training medical professionals and educating about the ways of Contracting as well as correct Hygiene is essential.
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Ebola – fear of faster spreadDuty to Act
Flowers for the dead: In West Africa, over 11,000 people lost 2014 and 2015, the fight against the deadly Virus. The Ebola outbreak in the Congo is the worst after the epidemic in West Africa – more than 1800 people lost since 2018 your life. Red alert: Now quick Action from politicians, Doctors and experts is in demand.
“The new vaccine is not for an acute Ebola-suspected case or disease case is actually so good. He will probably be used more in areas that are generally compromised, and in which you could then vaccinate the entire population prophylactically.”
Although the new vaccine is so fast, he has however other advantages. “He can be easily made and must not be chilled so much.” During the previous, fast and effective vaccine by Merck, it must be cooled to minus 60 to 70 degrees, with the new vaccine minus 20 degrees. “These are all advantages. In this respect, we have the hope that we can reach more people,” said Dr. Addo.
More doses of the vaccine available
Because of the ease of manufacture also a lot of people, the new vaccine is expected to to vaccinate: Up to now, have been immunized with the first vaccine, approximately 235,000 people. About twice as many doses of vaccine are currently available.
The new vaccine is about one and a half million doses of the vaccine are now available. Even if the vaccine needs to undergo the Phase III of the marketing authorisation, and so still has to prove itself. “This is of course a possibility, now, to find out whether the vaccine also shows really in the Phase III efficacy. He has shown a very, very good compatibility and also a very good immune response. Therefore, we assume that he protects, but that is not yet occupied,” is infection a researcher Addo to bear in mind.
Therefore, it is now to vaccinate as many people as possible in the four affected cities, as well as in Beni and Goma. So far, these people would have had no Chance to get a vaccination because they belong to the circle of those who direct or indirect contact to Ebola-Sufferers have or have had. “If you would now like to prepare a city for the case of an emergency or if you want to vaccinate health workers – this vaccination provides quite,” said Dr. Addo.
More: WHO: Ebola in Tanzania?
Ebola can skip through the hunting and consumption of wild animals to humans.
Complete Vaccination of the population remains unrealistic
Even if the current Ebola outbreak, hopefully, will be in the near future overcome, the question remains, how in the future against Ebola to be vaccinated, to be for new outbreaks being prepared.
The Problem here is that Ebola is transmitted from wild animals. Since 1967, the Ebola cases have occurred in a vast area in sub-Saharan Africa, from Uganda in the East to Guinea and Sierra Leone in the West of the continent. In between 5000 kilometers nearly. The potential Ebola-risk area, therefore, comprises the hundreds of millions of people. It is therefore clear that The health authorities will vaccinate all people prophylactically, but only on acute outbreaks may respond.
With both vaccines, you now have a good Arsenal of weapons against the Virus. Add to that better drugs for the patients that are already infected. With two antibody therapies, has enabled the Doctors to reduce the mortality rate of Ebola from 67 percent to 35 percent.
“That we know of Ebola only since 1967, are the but great Progress and we have to build on,” says the tropics E. Marylyn Addo confident.
Equally important is not to forget in the face of the fear of Ebola is the more common infectious diseases. These cost a lot more lives. “We have a lot of challenges when it comes to the topic of Vaccination. In the Congo, the world’s largest measles runs just to the outbreak, and there is a very large cholera outbreak.”
More: water shortages complicate the fight against Ebola
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickCarriers of the plague
In fleas, the health authorities of two counties in Arizona find: Yersinia pestis – the causative agent of the bubonic plague. The Flea can transmit the bacteria from Rodent to humans. The people there need to leave now, for special caution: from wild animals and your Pets with drugs against the parasites protect.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickNot entirely unusual
In the U.S., plague cases are rare, each year, seven infections in humans but are not, on average. Only in June had been infected in New Mexico with three people. Medically it has lost the plague in developed countries, their terror. With antibiotics they can be treated. It remains, however, if left untreated, is often fatal.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickCaution, even if they look cute!
In Yosemite national Park in 2015, two of the visitors were ill of the plague. Transfer the bacteria were ends likely to be of such a sweet strip, or of squirrels. In mid-August, the Park authority locked in a campsite, after the two dead squirrels plague pathogen have been found. Worldwide every year there are approximately 300 influenza cases – the most in Madagascar, the DR Congo and Peru.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickNot only the plague is dangerous
There are many other diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans – called zoonoses. Especially small children, elderly and sick people and Pregnant women are at risk due to infections with viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Therefore, Pets should be regularly treated with medication.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickFever, thanks to kitty
Cats and dogs – the best friends of the people – can, for example, transfer the bacteria “Campylobacter jejuni”, the diarrhea caused. Cats also provide different Bartonella bacteria, which can cause fever and inflammation. And toxoplasmosis, triggered by Toxoplasma gondii, can cause a pregnancy to dangerous complications.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickRoute of infection in several animals
A viral infection, which occurs almost only in the countryside, the cowpox. The mice that live on Pastures, the virus from the feces of cattle. Then the cats eat the mice and play in the evening with the people. It puts in Rumble, a scratch of the person is infected.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickSick by creep animals
Amphibians and reptiles, by contrast, are intended to be used for a variety of sporadic Salmonella infections in their owners responsible. Around eleven percent of these infections in patients under the age of 21 go back, according to a study on animals such as iguanas, lizards, snakes or frogs.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickParrots disease
The parrot disease is a zoonotic disease, which can be especially for children and immunocompromised individuals dangerous. Trigger a chlamydia-art. it is especially true of Parrots, budgies and pigeons. The person infected is usually over the dried droppings of the animals. The is stirred up with the dust in the air.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickPrevent disease
For healthy people the risk is low, as long as the animals are vaccinated and wormed and Hygiene rules were observed, emphasize the researchers. Nevertheless, everyone should wash up after a long caress of the hands, or when Cleaning the cage or Terrarium gloves.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickStabbing Risk
But not only our Pets, are contagious. So it can happen, for example, that the most dangerous animals in the tropics were accidentally with trade, mostly on ships, even in temperate zones reach. The Asian tiger mosquito transmits, for example, the Dengue-fever.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickReynard The Fox
Up to the year 2008 there were in Germany: rabies, transmitted mainly by foxes. Through large-scale immunisation campaigns, but this dangerous disease is eradicated. For people who had become infected with the rabies virus, ended in the disease. Germany is today considered to be rabies-free.
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Like the plague! – If animals make you sickThe all-clear
In General, the researchers stress outweigh the positive effects, which brings the relationship to an animal. As small children, growing up with a dog or a bird to become ill, less likely to have allergies and respiratory infections. In addition, dogs ensure that we move more – and also for the Psyche of our animal friends are well.