More than a million people could be infected with the Ebola virus in January unless greater efforts to contain the disease in West Africa are made, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said.
In a press conference at CDC headquarters in Atlanta Saturday, health authorities said that between 550,000 and 1.4 million people could be infected in countries that have been most affected - Liberia and Sierra Leone - if not adopted additional measures.
CDC projections are based on a report published last month before the United States government approved sending 3,000 troops to West Africa, where at least 2,802 people have died from Ebola virus.
"The model shows - and I do not think this has been demonstrated by other modeling tools out there -. Whether a wave can now break the back of the epidemic also shows that there are severe costs of delay," said CDC Director Thomas Frieden.
The CDC report also said that the estimated figures could be reversed if at least 70 percent of people infected with the virus are treated at medical centers suitable conditions.
"It is still possible to reverse the epidemic, and we believe this can be done if enough of all patients are isolated effectively, either treatment units Ebola or other environments, such as based care community or at home, "Frieden said.
The CDC currently has 120 experts in the region of West Africa to help identify and isolate new cases to stop more people from becoming infected, he said.
