Congo Struggles with Ebola; US & Canada in Trade Fight
Today, NewsForKids.net looks at two important stories: Doctors are working hard to stop a rapidly-spreading outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Also, a trade war is growing between the United States and Canada after talks between the two countries broke down.
Congo Struggles to Control Ebola
The deadly Ebola virus is spreading rapidly in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In just over three months, over 5,000 cases have been reported, and the disease has killed over 2,500 people. The virus is spreading far faster now than in any previous outbreak.
Ebola
Ebola is a rare, but deadly disease that causes great pain, bleeding, and, often, death. The Ebola virus spreads easily and can affect people quickly, so it is important to keep sick people away from healthy people.
The strain (kind) of Ebola virus spreading in Congo is called Bundibugyo. This is a rare strain of Ebola and currently, there are no vaccines or treatments for it. But scientists and doctors are working hard on both.
(Source: Daniel Buuma MSF.)
The WHO and other groups are sending 70,000 Ervebo vaccines to the DRC. These vaccines target the Ebola virus, but it’s not known whether they work against the Bundibugyo strain. Health workers hope that they will provide some protection.
The lack of treatments is part of the reason the virus has spread quickly. But there are several other reasons as well.
For one thing, there was a delay in reporting the outbreak, and cases are still not being reported quickly. There aren’t enough health centers or health workers in the eastern DRC. The area was already a dangerous place to work, since there is armed fighting there.
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Because Ebola spreads so easily, health workers need to isolate people with the disease. This has upset some local people, and led them to attack health centers. Above, a doctor helping a patient with Ebola in July. Doctors and scientists are working to find treatments for Bundibugyo Ebola.
Because Ebola spreads so easily, health workers need to isolate people with the disease. This has upset some local people, and led them to attack health centers.
But the WHO believes the situation can be brought under control in three months, if local communities work together. Nearby Uganda also had a small outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola earlier this year, and now it has no more cases.
Trump’s Tariffs Lead to Trade Fight With Canada
The US and Canada seem to be entering a trade war. US President Donald Trump has long tried to use tariffs as a way for the US to earn money.
Tariffs
Putting tariffs – extra taxes – on products coming from other countries makes those products more expensive to sell in the US. This hurts the country selling the product. But since the tariffs are paid by Americans, tariffs also hurt people and businesses in the US.
In his second term as president, Mr. Trump has tried several times to put high tariffs on products from countries from around the world – even countries that the US considers allies. Many of Mr. Trump’s past tariffs were found to be illegal and were stopped.
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In July, Mr. Trump called for a 50% tariff on several important Canadian products, including cars. After talks between the two countries broke down, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will match US tariffs “dollar for dollar”. Above, the two men speaking in June.
Earlier this summer, Mr. Trump announced a new wave of tariffs. In late July, Mr. Trump called for a 50% tariff on several important products from Canada, including cars.
Last week, representatives of the US and Canada met to try to reach a new trade deal. But on Friday, the two sides announced that the talks had failed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the US “asked too much, and they offered too little.”
Canada now says it will add new tariffs to American products to match Mr. Trump’s tariffs, “dollar for dollar”. On Monday, Mr. Trump said he would raise the tariffs on Canada to even higher levels.
The trade war marks a strong change from the long and friendly history shared by the two countries.
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