Africa CDC, WHO announce joint response plan to Ebola outbreak

June 5 (UPI) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization on Friday announced a joint response plan to counter the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa.

The plan is focused strengthening health systems and cross-board collaboration to improve treatment and attempt to slow spread of the Bundiguyo species of the Ebola virus, for which there is no vaccine.

Since May 15, the WHO has confirmed 381 cases and 64 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak has been centered, and 16 cases and 1 death in Uganda.

Previous estimates of more than 1,000 suspected cases and about 250 suspected deaths are still being discussed by some officials and experts, but The BBC reported on Friday that some officials have backed off discussing estimates, including those in the DRC.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday also published an estimate that suggests that if not enough is done the outbreak could easily explode into tens of thousands of cases in just a few months.

"Ebola moves fast. Africa must move faster," Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, said in a press release.

"This joint plan gives the continent a clear path to act with speed and unity: to save lives, support the affected countries and protect neighboring communities," Kaseya said.

The crux of the Africa CDC and WHO plan is to raise $518 million to support African countries to prepare for, rapidly detect and respond to the outbreak.

These efforts will include disease surveillance, laboratory testing, infection preventing and care, clinical care, logistics and support for overall essential health services.

The U.S. CDC analysis comes as estimates and predictions have appeared poise to surpass the thousand case and hundred death mark after the rapid spread of Bundibugyo in the DRC and then into Uganda.

The analysis posits that if the outbreak response does not manage to isolate 20% of people who have the virus, there is a 65% chance that the outbreak will surpass 20,000 cases within the next three months.

If, however, a higher proportion of people with Ebola were to enter isolation -- upwards of 70% -- it could limit the chance that the outbreak stays surpasses 10,000 cases in the next 90 days to around 5%, researchers wrote in the analysis.

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