West Africa most at risk for outbreaks of deadly epidemics

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A Liberian Red Cross burial team retrieves the body of a suspected victim of Ebola in Banjor, on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia in 2014. A study found that West Africa is most at risk for outbreaks of deadly diseases. Photo: EPA

Published: 6:56am, 12 Oct 2017Updated: 6:56am, 12 Oct 2017

West Africa is most at risk of fatal haemorrhagic fever epidemics, including Ebola, researchers said on Wednesday, calling for greater preparedness to save lives.

A study in The Lancet medical journal assessed the likelihood of four viruses – Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Crimean-Congo – spreading on the continent, charting progress from a first human case through to a potential pandemic.

The world’s worst recorded Ebola outbreak ravaged Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2013 and 2016, killing about 11,300 people, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The viruses, which are often transmitted by rodents and bats and can cause fever, vomiting and bleeding, are often fatal.

By mapping high risk areas, African nations can better prepare for potential epidemics by improving surveillance of animals that transmit the diseases, rapidly detecting initial cases and investing in stronger health systems, the study said.

In this undated electron micrograph file image made available by the CDC shows an Ebola virus virion. H Photo: AP

“This study’s framework provides an important tool for pinpointing where local surveillance and pre-emptive countermeasures are most needed,” said Simon Hay, a professor of global health at the University of Washington.