Former Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield is warning that the growing Ebola outbreak in central Africa could spiral into a major international health crisis as cases continue rapidly increasing across the region.
During an interview on NewsNation Thursday, Redfield described the outbreak as “very disruptive” and said the virus appears to be spreading much faster than health authorities initially realized.
“Normally, we recognize them when we have five, 10 cases, at most,” Redfield said.
“This one really wasn’t picked up until there was over 100 cases.”
The former CDC director said he and other public health officials were “stunned” by how long the outbreak progressed before significant containment measures began.
Redfield warned that the outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola will likely continue spreading beyond the currently affected countries.
“I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” he stated.
He ultimately described the situation as “a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern.”
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 by the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after laboratory confirmation of the Bundibugyo strain in Ituri Province, per Trending Politics.
The Bundibugyo variant was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and differs from the more widely known Zaire strain responsible for several previous Ebola outbreaks.
One major concern for health officials is that there is currently no approved vaccine specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain, according to the World Health Organization.
Initial symptoms reported in the outbreak include fever, severe body pain, weakness, vomiting and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals or contaminated surfaces, making containment extremely difficult in densely populated or unstable regions.
Health officials say the outbreak is being complicated by ongoing violence, political instability, mining operations and major population displacement across eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Cross-border movement has also become a major concern as cases spread into neighboring countries.
Uganda has already confirmed two cases connected to travel from Congo, including one death.
As of May 22, officials reported: 744 suspected cases, 83 confirmed cases, and 176 suspected deaths.
Cases have now been identified in Ituri, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu provinces inside Congo.
Some independent research groups reportedly believe the true number of infections may be significantly higher than official confirmed totals because many remote regions lack sufficient testing and reporting infrastructure.
The outbreak has also raised fresh concerns globally after the World Health Organization recently declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
At this stage, health authorities have not declared a worldwide pandemic, but officials are warning the outbreak’s trajectory remains highly unpredictable.
Redfield’s warning is likely to intensify fears about another major international health crisis only a few years after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global disease surveillance and response systems.
