“Out of control” Ebola rages

From the FT:

The death toll from the outbreak of Ebola virus in west Africa has climbed to 826, nearly double the number of fatalities of the previous worst-ever epidemic, according to figures released by the World Health Organisation.

The update suggests the outbreak is spinning out of control, with more than 50 deaths reported in three days from 28-30 July, as the spread of the virus outpaces efforts to contain it in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

 “The surge in the number of new cases . . . calls for concentrated efforts by all to address the identified problems such as health facility transmission and effective contact tracing,” the WHO said.

The rapid increase in the death toll comes after the three west African nations announced over the weekend extra measures to combat the outbreak, including calling in the army to enforce quarantines in several villages.

In a statement the trio said the new measures would focus on the “cross-border regions that have more than 70 per cent [of the cases] of the epidemic”. They added that the “border areas will be isolated by policy and the military”.

…Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, warned that “if the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives, but also severe socio-economic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries”.

She added: “This outbreak is moving faster than our efforts to control it.”

And the latest data:

It’s a matter of time before these nations are shut.