Ebola outbreak could become 2nd largest in history, Ex-CDC chief warns | Elizabeth Vargas Reports

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]So, the WHO said today that the death rate for this outbreak is {quote} huge and it's spreading faster than they can respond. The problem here is that it was spreading for 6 weeks before anyone detected it. It's the first time in history Ebola has spread so far before detection. What happened? What went wrong?

[00:00:19]>> Well, you know, Elizabeth, I think that's a really important point. I mean, clearly this time we had almost 100 cases before it was recognized that we had an Ebola outbreak. Part of the problem is a technical problem. The virus strain that caused this Ebola outbreak, the Bundibugyo virus strain, that strain that had really caused an outbreak in 2007 and 2012.

[00:00:45]So, no one's seen that strain for, you know, over 13, 14 years. And the normal strains that we'd confront, Sudan and Zaire, those strains are actually picked up by the current tests that we have.

[00:00:58]But, this strain, the Bundibugyo uh uh strain, was not is not detected by those assays. So, when they had people come in and they tested them, they tested negative for Ebola. And it wasn't until later that they figured out that they needed to get a different assay for a strain that they hadn't seen in 14 years and that's when they began to realize we had a significant outbreak.

[00:01:21]>> But, even even with, you know, the faulty testing early on and the late detection, the United States only learned of this outbreak 9 days after the WHO detected it. Why the delay? Why weren't we notified sooner?

[00:01:36]>> I don't know the answer to that.

[00:01:39]You know, I'd have to double check on that. I would assume that we we became aware of it simultaneously.

[00:01:46]But, so I don't really know the answer to that, Elizabeth. I will look into that to see if there's any any reality to that. I think we found out I think pretty much around May 15th.

[00:01:59]>> Yep.

[00:01:59]>> In that timeframe. Already this outbreak, and this is why it's so important, and I think you reported it already, this already, even though it's less than 15 days since they first reported it, it's already the third largest outbreak of Ebola in the world.

[00:02:15]Uh in the initial one in 2014, the largest one, 28,000 uh 610 people, the Ebola we knew in West Africa. Then the second largest outbreak was the one that I did, pretty much in the same area as this outbreak, a little south.

[00:02:30]And during that outbreak was uh about 3,000 um uh 3,470 individuals.

[00:02:38]Um both of those outbreaks lasted uh the one I did would lasted about uh 22 months, the West African outbreak lasted around 26 months. So, you are right, this is something that's likely to go on, unfortunately, for a while, and these numbers I won't be surprised if this doesn't become the second largest outbreak uh that we've ever had in history.

[00:03:00]>> Uh the WHO is urging countries not to impose travel bans because it says they don't work, but Uganda has closed its border with the Congo, and the Trump administration is barring anyone infected with the virus, and any travelers who've just simply been in the region in the last 21 days from entering the country. Uh will this work to keep Ebola out of the United States?

[00:03:23]>> Well, I think, you know, it will be an attempt to uh minimize the sporadic cases that we see.

[00:03:29]I won't be surprised if we don't have uh one or two or or three sporadic cases as we saw in 2014.

[00:03:37]>> the US.

[00:03:38]>> Yeah, because we saw them in 2014, if you remember. We had around But and I'm only saying that because of the World Cup coming, a lot of travel.

[00:03:48]Uh it depends on how much of this virus does it get into outside the DRC? Does it get into Uganda? Um but clearly it's going to be, you know, a regional outbreak that's going to be substantial with Uganda, DRC. It may get into South Sudan.

[00:04:08]Uh you know, I'm still concerned it could get into Rwanda. There's some cases along the Rwanda border.

[00:04:14]>> So >> And then it sneaks into Tanzania and it will be a regional outbreak, a very serious regional outbreak.

[00:04:19]>> The administration was planning to open a quarantine treatment unit today in Kenya for infected Americans or Americans exposed to the virus, but a judge in Kenya just blocked it citing a quote imminent threat to life. Kenya's largest doctors union accused the Kenyan government of making a backroom deal, that's their word for it, with the United States uh in exchange for money to open this unit. The doctors called the deal quote disgusting and said quote if it's too dangerous for America, it's too dangerous for Kenya.

[00:04:54]What do you make of that really uh very forceful strong reaction from within Kenya to this proposed unit for Americans?

[00:05:02]>> Yeah, unfortunately I think from the United States perspective it was not it was not a good decision. As you mentioned, this this uh strain of virus has a significant mortality. Right now it's running around 30% and and this virus is a little less than the Zairian strain that I confronted had a 70% mortality. This virus usually has a mortality in the 30 to 40%.

[00:05:28]>> We heard 50% from the WHO today.

[00:05:31]>> Yeah, I think if I look at the historical two outbreaks, it's it's as I said, somewhere between 30 and 40, but you could say 30 to 50. I wouldn't argue with you. But um I think the real reality for Americans and other people to get it to to to survive is the highest quality medical care you can have.

[00:05:51]>> Right.

[00:05:52]>> And I personally believe that's here in the United States. And when I was uh confronted with the West African outbreak, I was involved in setting up a treatment unit here in in Baltimore and we set up treatment units in Emory. We set them up as you know, we have them in Nebraska. We actually set up about 13 treatment in the United States.

[00:06:13]>> personally, I think the American should uh be come back to America and get care in America by people that are trained to take care of them in America. It's a very complicated disease to take care of once they're in in in the final stages of Ebola with organ failure.

[00:06:28]>> Yeah.

[00:06:29]>> it's very unlikely that we can give them the same level of health care uh in Africa. Germany, yeah, they're they're really good at this.

[00:06:37]>> That's where we have that one American doctor who was infected who's now been treated.

[00:06:41]>> Not Africa. I think it's a mistake. I'm actually glad uh with the decision that the Kenyans doctors and government made today because maybe now America will reconsider and set up Emory, you know, Hopkins, you know, my own institution Maryland had one.

[00:06:56]>> a unit there. Okay.

[00:06:57]>> Put our units there.

[00:06:58]>> All right, Dr. Robert Redfield.

[00:07:00]Important stuff, scary stuff as we've got all these millions of people heading to America uh for the World Cup in a couple of weeks. Packed stadiums, packed trains, packed airplanes. Um feels like a petri dish, but who knows.

[00:07:14]Uh really appreciate you coming on. Thank you so much.

[00:07:17]>> Yeah, thanks a lot.

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