Ebola Outbreak in DRC (with David Gura, Christina Ruffini)

Bloomberg medical science editor Jason Gale reports that the current Ebola outbreak in DRC is caused by a rare strain (Bundibugyo) with no approved treatment or vaccine. The outbreak was unexpected and is larger than officially detected. The U.S. public health response is severely weakened due to cuts to USAID, CDC, and withdrawal from WHO, hampering contact tracing and containment efforts.

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Ebola Outbreak in DRC (with David Gura, Christina Ruffini)

Asks why this particular Ebola strain is so dangerous and why it was unexpected.

Christina Ruffini
Jason Gale

This is a rare strain (Bundibugyo) that has only appeared twice since 2007, with fewer than 200 cases each time. Experts expected the next outbreak to be the Zaire strain, which has vaccines and treatments. This strain has no approved treatment or vaccine, setting the response back to 2014 levels.

The lack of countermeasures makes this outbreak particularly dangerous.
Asks about the difference in public health response compared to 2014-2016, referencing Dr. Craig Spencer's comments.

David Gura
Jason Gale

The response is hampered by cuts to USAID and CDC, and the U.S. withdrawal from WHO. Contact tracing, largely done by USAID, is now severely limited. The U.S. has a part-time CDC director, no Surgeon General, and no FDA commissioner, weakening the overall response.

Dr. Craig Spencer noted the world repeats a cycle of panic and neglect, building and dismantling infrastructure.
Asks about the impact of the dissolution of USAID on the ground-level response.

Christina Ruffini
Jason Gale

Contact tracing, largely done by USAID, is a major gap. The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO has also weakened global response capacity.

The WHO has lost its biggest donor and has had to pare back programs.
Asks for an assessment of the U.S. government's current response compared to 2014-2016.

David Gura
Jason Gale

The U.S. response is significantly weaker. The CDC has a part-time director, and many key HHS positions are unfilled. Many ostensible jobs on the ground in the DRC are vacant.

In 2014, Ebola was a full-time job for the CDC director. Now, the bureaucracy is missing many key pieces.

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