ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WFMZ) — A local infectious disease specialist is keeping a close eye on the newest strain of the Ebola virus, as the suspected death toll and case numbers continue to rise in Africa.
“The mortality of this virus is potentially extreme,” said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, Infectious Disease Specialist at St. Luke’s University Health Network.
The Ebola virus typically has a 25% to 90% mortality rate.
While there haven’t been any cases in the United States, Dr. Jahre said Americans should absolutely be concerned.
“Anything that occurs in any part of the world can become part of our world in less than 12 hours,” Jahre cautioned.
Jahre said the virus started spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda about a month ago.
“We’re getting to this fairly late on,” Jahre stated.
Ebola virus typically has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days and is spread through contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms start off mild and flu-like with headache, fatigue, muscle aches and fever, before kicking it up a notch with severe diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding.
There’s currently no treatment or vaccine for this new strain–called Bundibhgyo–and it takes time to test for.
“Early identification and early supportive treatment is still very important,” Jahre said, which could decrease mortality rates to 20%.
The World Health Organization says there are more than 50 confirmed infections and nearly 600 suspected cases, with close to 140 deaths.
“There are a number of treatments that are being investigated right now because it takes a while to figure this out. We know that this may take at the very least, months,” Jahre concluded.