Evidence suggests Ebola toll vastly underestimated: WHO

Reuters ^ | Aug 14, 2014 | Saliou Samb

[dayglored]

Staff with the World Health Organisation battling an Ebola outbreak in West Africa see evidence the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimates the scale of the outbreak, the U.N. agency said on its website on Thursday.

The death toll from the world's worst outbreak of Ebola stood on Wednesday at 1,069 from 1,975 confirmed, probable and suspected cases, the agency said. The majority were in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, while four people have died in Nigeria.

The agency's apparent acknowledgement the situation is worse than previously thought could spur governments and aid organisations to take stronger measures against the virus.

"Staff at the outbreak sites see evidence that the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak," the organisation said on its website.

[dayglored]

This is not good. Not. Good. At. All.

[dayglored]

pings

[dayglored]

Not that it’s a surprise to those of us who’ve been following it. But this will generate greater interest. Let’s hope it doesn’t generate too much panic.

[tet68]

This just the beginning, the horror movie hasn’t
even started yet.

[Da Coyote]

Source is Reuters.

Therefore, be very skeptical.

[Delta Dawn]

I’m not sure what all of the hullabaloo is all about...I mean, we have ebola cases up and walking around here in America and nobody seems to be concerned...if this was serious there is no way that Obama would have allowed any ebola cases into America...I sleep easy at night knowing that Obama is my leader...

[22202NOVA]

Reuters tries hard to be unbiased.

Perfect? No... But they try.

[bgill]

If they’re admitting to double the official number, wonder how big it really is.

[dayglored]

Reuters quoted correctly. This is from the WHO website:

"...the outbreak is expected to continue for some time. WHO’s operational response plan extends over the next several months. Staff at the outbreak sites see evidence that the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak..."

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/overview-20140814/en/

[longfellowsmuse]

Knowing how infectious diseases are spread it is quite certain that the numbers are underestimated. With small isolated villages and Africans afraid of medical workers I would be more skeptical if they reported the numbers were accurate.

[PA Engineer]

International agencies are looking into emergency food drops and truck convoys to reach hungry people in Liberia and Sierra Leone cordoned off from the outside world to halt the spread of the virus, a top World Bank official said.

I was wondering about this. Reports of this were posted a couple of days ago on the PANDEMIC FLU INFORMATION FORUM.

The supply chains are already being disrupted in these countries.

[x1stcav]

This translates out to:

Guilt-ridden white people, who created the modern world as we know, send more money.

[PghBaldy]

What is vastly underestimated, according to the fear-mongers at Reuters and the WHO? 20%? 50%? 100%? Still would “only” be a thousand or two.

[RedMDer]

FReepers, Let's go!
Everyone needs to donate!
All contributions are for the current quarter expenses.

[PA Engineer]

What is vastly underestimated, according to the fear-mongers at Reuters and the WHO? 20%? 50%? 100%? Still would “only” be a thousand or two.

The Samaritan's Purse Congressional Testimony from last Thursday indicate the undercount to be 25-50%. I believe these people, because they have been on the ground. That was one week ago.

My personal belief is that the undercount is much worse. I believe it is following a standard pandemic outbreak and the numbers of infected are greater than 5000 this week, with the number of deaths approaching 2000.

They quit testing the bodies and isolating the family members. In many locations they are just picking up the dead and cremating them.

These are some of the most poorest, dysfunctional and corrupt countries in the world. I don't believe any of the official statements coming from their governments and WHO.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[Selene]

“four people have died in Nigeria”

there are multiple flights from Nigeria to Atlanta and Houston everyday

[Shelayne]

These are some of the most poorest, dysfunctional and corrupt countries in the world. I don't believe any of the official statements coming from their governments and WHO.

I don't believe them, either.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

****The horror movie***

I bet the script writers at the SI-FI channel are already pounding out scripts!

EBOLA ZOMBIE ATTACK
SHARKBOLA

GODZILLA VS EBOLA BAT!

Oh wait! There has already been an Ebola movie made for TV!
ROBIN COOK’S VIRUS (1995).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114858/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_59

[RipSawyer]

Now we know why all the folks around Brownsville say you’re crazy;>)