RMS: Global Ebola Pandemic Unlikely
Proquest LLC |
According to RMS, a catastrophe risk management firm, the current Ebola outbreak is the largest in history and a serious concern for the West African region due to a confluence of circumstances, including the pathogen's virulence and transmissibility as well as societal and environmental factors, but it is unlikely to spread beyond the region and become a global pandemic.
"Any emerging disease, especially one that is highly transmissible, poses a great risk and has the most potential to become a global pandemic because there are no vaccines or treatments available," said
In its release, RMS said that its experts have identified contributing factors to the spread of Ebola in
-Virulence: The current Ebola outbreak causes death in 55 percent of those infected. Some Ebola outbreaks have had a mortality rate up to 90 percent. For comparison, the mortality rate for bubonic plague typically ranges from 25 to 60 percent, while flu is fatal in less than 0.1 percent of cases.
-Transmissibility: It is unusual for a disease to be both highly virulent and highly transmissible, as typically such diseases kill those infected before there is time to transmit the infection to someone else. Ebola has a relatively low transmissibility rate than other infectious diseases as it is only transmitted via direct contact with bodily fluids. However, transmissibility can be increased in some regions due to cultural customs. For example, traditional burial practices in which families wash the deceased can expose additional people to the virus.
-Medical access: Lack of access to medical treatment and infection-control measures in areas currently affected has contributed to the disease's spread. However, the risk of a global pandemic is low due to standard public health and infection control practices in place in many countries globally.
-Infection-control measures: Ebola can only be transmitted via direct contact with bodily fluids, especially blood, which means that caregivers are the primary people who might be exposed to the virus. In many countries including the U.S., the general practice is to treat all blood as potential sources of infection, due to HIV and other blood-borne diseases. In quarantine situations, such as those being used with the American Ebola cases in
-Availability of medical treatments: There is no specific therapy or drug available for Ebola, which is often the case for new or emerging diseases. Ebola outbreaks occur sporadically and are caused by different virus strains, making vaccine development more difficult. Treatment usually consists of supportive care, such as management of blood pressure, oxygen and fluid levels. With the exception of experimental treatments, there are no pharmaceutical interventions available for Ebola, and access to healthcare varies substantially by region or population. Experimental Ebola drugs are not applicable to large populations at this time.
-Non-medical intervention methods: Various countries in
More Information and Complete Details:
((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected]))
Copyright: | (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |
Wordcount: | 612 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News