An individual from Ontario who recently visited East Africa is undergoing testing for Ebola, as confirmed by the Ontario Health Ministry. The Ministry’s spokesperson informed CBC News via email that the person is currently in a hospital for evaluation. Due to the individual’s recent travel to the area affected by a significant and deadly outbreak, including Ebola, a range of infectious diseases is being considered as a precaution.
The Ministry emphasized that all necessary infection prevention and control protocols are in effect. It was reiterated that there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ontario at present. However, details about the individual’s symptoms or specific location within Ontario were not disclosed.
The testing coincides with the recent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as an international concern. WHO reports approximately 600 suspected cases and over 139 suspected deaths related to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in these regions.
The Bundibugyo strain, a rare form of Ebola, currently lacks specific treatments or vaccines. Ebola, known for its high contagiousness through bodily fluids, manifests symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising.
WHO officials in Congo estimate that the outbreak could extend for a minimum of two months. The virus spread unnoticed for weeks following the initial known fatality as authorities ruled out the more common Ebola Zaire strain. Investigations are ongoing to pinpoint the outbreak’s origin and timeline, with suggestions that it may have begun several months ago.
The London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggested that reported cases are significantly lower than actual figures, speculating that the true count could surpass 1,000. Uncertainty surrounds the full extent of the outbreak, as per the research group’s statement.
This marks Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, with WHO acknowledging the country’s health ministry’s preparedness to address the situation despite previous outbreaks mainly involving the more typical Ebola strain.
