[Judith Anne]

In this case, it isn't the media who are giving false numbers, although you have to wonder why the people who write these articles show so little curiosity or common sense.

It's the WHO, and Angolan authorities, imho, who are suppressing the numbers to "confirmed" cases--that would be cases where samples are collected under less than ideal conditions, degraded by long transport times to the US CDC, and showing many false negatives.

I suspect WHO is doing this for a reason, what, I do not know. To prevent worldwide panic? To make themselves seem important? To get money from the US while they pretend the money can be used for something other than isolation containment?

What's the deal, here? Is there no Angolan authority, to address this? What is the strategy? If it's "education" and pamphlets, as someone posted, then good bleeping luck.

[Covenantor]

Here's a more recent political map of Angola.

Note the major road swinging south from Uige to Luanda. Also not the lack of major roads to the isolated province of Cabinda (NE) leading one to wonder how the virus was transported there. Cabinda also has coffee plantation in the north as Uige does. Traffic between the two areas may account for the cabinda incident. If that occurred via coastal freighters picking coffee we may see a problem elsewhere within a few weeks. Another thing, Uige has been mentioned as the point of origin (maybe not ground zero but close enough). What we don't know is if the outbreak was in Uige city or elsewhere in the province with news being posted from Uige.

Which by the way is pronounced Whee-zh.

[Covenantor]

I also believe that the Angolan government is behind the confusion with the reported numbers of deceased and infected. With the deaths of the 17? medical workers I think that their resource were very nearly wiped out in the province. On one of the med-boards I saw an isolated quote approx. April 3 or 4 that an Angolan official said the outbreak had peaked. Now whether that was from ignorance or not not...

As much as I have been able to glean these are the med groups involved:

WHO (are these actually Drs or just pols?)

Medicins sans frontieres

CDC team

and a reported South Africa specialist on the way