Ebola reaches major Congolese city of Goma

Health workers decontaminate a house where people with Ebola were found. The Guardian/AP.

A case of Ebola disease has been found in Goma, a city of 2 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Guardian. The current outbreak has killed 1600 people despite advances in treatment and the development of a vaccine. The infected was from the outbreak area and took a bus to Goma before falling ill. He immediately went to a treatment center and the other people that were on the bus with him have been isolated. The man was a priest who had helped infected victims. 

My Comment:

Just a quick update on the Ebola outbreak. There hasn't been a huge amount of news since the virus spread to Uganda, largely because the authorities there seem to have the situation under control. That is not true in Congo but nothing there has been under control for years. 

It does seem like they dodged a bullet here. Having Ebola break out in Goma would have been a disaster. Given the crowded conditions in large cities a virus like Ebola could spread fast. And it would be pretty easy for health workers there to be overwhelmed.

The good news is that the priest did the right thing when he found out he got sick. Instead of going home or hiding he went right to a clinic. Since Ebola usually spreads from very sick people leaking bodily fluids, keeping him in an isolated place to be treated should help stop the disease in its track. 

The other good news is that they managed to track down and isolate the other people who were on the bus with him. It's unlikely any of them were infected but if they were, they will have been dealt with easily. There isn't much of a chance that they are even sick but if they are, they won't be able to spread it to others.

There is a chance of more cases in Goma though. Obviously the health workers could get sick themselves even despite the safety measures they have. But it is also very possible that more people from the outbreak zone could come and they might not be as responsible as this priest was. If they try to hid their sickness they could spread the disease to others...