11 countries involved in the emergency

According to the World Health Organization, since the beginning of recorded cases until 30 June were 759, with 467 deaths. There is no vaccine or therapy care. In these hours is underway in Accra, Ghana, a meeting between representatives of the 11 countries involved in the emergency.

It has been called an epidemic of Ebola largest since the discovery of the virus in 1976, and as stated in a press release from the World Health Organization, "while cases of Ebola and the number of deaths continue to rise in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, it is time to take drastic measures. "The situation in West Africa has now surpassed in duration, geographical distribution and intensity of outbreaks earlier, and according to experts it is not entirely exclude the possibility that some cases occur also in Europe, for importation of the virus. It remains, however, a risk still limited and it is counterproductive to indulge in alarmism exaggerated, says Giovanni Rezza, epidemiologist at the National Institute of Health. "The cases are concentrated in remote areas, it is unlikely that someone from there embarks on a plane to Europe. In addition, there are direct flights to Italy, and who becomes ill is very sick now. It is easy to identify and isolate, in case it is necessary. "

According to data from epidemiological analyzes conducted on site by the WHO, since the beginning of recorded cases until 30 June were 759, with 467 confirmed deaths. For this reason, between yesterday and today is underway in Accra, Ghana, a meeting between representatives of the 11 countries involved in the emergency, wanted by the WHO itself that does not mince words to describe the situation in Africa. "This is not an epidemic that involves more than one country specific, but a sub-regional crisis that requires an intervention decided by both governmental and international partners," said Luis Sambo, WHO Regional Director for the 'Africa and promoter of two days in Ghana, which will be attended by ministers of health of all countries affected by the crisis Ebola.

The shifts between the affected countries do not improve the situation, says the WHO, increasing the risk of spreading while the cross-border economic and social activities continue, despite the emergency. The borders are now one of the key points on which activities should be concentrated control the epidemic. For the moment, however, the UN agency has eslcuso the possibility of resorting to restrictions on travel and on the movement of goods: if each of the elementary rules of hygiene, the risk remains low even for those traveling in the affected countries.

The Ebola virus (known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a disease where the fatality rate is approximately 90%, and it is one of the most virulent diseases known. As explained in the WHO guidelines, the infection is transmitted either by direct contact with blood and body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. The latter exhibit severe muscle pain, weakness, fever, headache and sore throat as well as vomiting, diarrhea and possible bleeding, both internal and external. This endangers not only the family members of patients but also the medical staff that works closely. As explained by Giuseppe Ippolito National Institute for Infectious Disease Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome, this particular type of Ebola gastrointestinal characteristics that make it more difficult to identify. As there is still no vaccine for the virus, or pharmacological treatments that have proved effective, the disease is treated by intervening directly on the symptoms of the infected patient.

On the field, in addition to technical WHO, there are also several teams of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and a mission of the European Commission involving experts of Spallanzani. Researchers are working to support the activities of diagnostics, with a mobile laboratory that sits alongside the local hospitals. The MSF international organization, with 300 national and local operators deployed and more than 40 tons of equipment sent to the spot, said, however, that he had reached the limit of their capacity for action teams: with infected patients identified in more than 60 locations in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, to control the epidemic will require a massive deployment of resources. According to Xavier Bellizzi, MSF epidemiologist recently returned from Guinea, "one thing is certain: the epidemic will still go on for a few months." Bellizzi is the second on-site experience, and in a video posted on the official channel on Youtube MSF explains how, just a month ago, he thought that the peak spread was now been reached, and we were beginning to a downturn.