health organizations are racing to STEM an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

That's already led to more than 130 deaths.

And while the immediate threat is still far away from Chicago, local specialists are working to make sure that we are prepared for all possibilities.

Joining us, our Dr Michael Lynn infectious disease specialist and hospital epidemiologist at Rush University.

And Doctor Larry Cosio like an infectious disease specialist and vice president of System Preparedness Prevention and response at Lurie Children's Hospital.

Doctors.

Thanks to both for joining us.

Dr.

Lin First, what do we know so far about the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

>> But this is an outbreak that's so rapidly evolving was first identified with a local Ministry of Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Just last Friday, May 15 and just in a couple of days, then the World Health Organization declared to the public health emergency of international concern.

So we know that this is an Ebola virus and that's been spreading quite rapidly.

The numbers are still very difficult to nail down simply because there's not a lot of information at the ground level.

But we know that there are at least 100 deaths, 500 suspected cases.

And it's an area where there's not lot of stability in terms of health care.

And so although the Democratic Republic of Congo has a lot of experience with Ebola.

This is something that's still very much a work in progress for response.

>> Dr.

Jose How would you say this one?

This outbreak is different from previous outbreaks in that region.

>> this differs in many ways, one, this is a strain of Ebola virus.

That is more unusual than the ones normally caused outbreaks in that region.

For that reason that we don't have a ton of research on this virus.

Now, the virus, it causes less severe disease than the other ones.

So that's reassuring.

But on the other hand, there's no vaccine or treatment for this fire is currently.

>> And doctor you know, since the U.S.

has withdrawn from the World Health Organization, USAID has also been dismantled.

How have all of those impacted the Globes ability to respond to Ebola outbreaks.

>> We certainly worry that World Health Organization, which is really leading a lot of the coordination across the globe for the response that they need all the resources they can get.

So the U.S.

pulling out of the who is I think hampered who has the ability to be able to respond as effectively as the floor.

But I understand that there's still coronation between CDC and who and we're doing the same between us and local and state Department of Public Health.

>> Dr Cause the elect planning for the threat of Ebola in Chicago goes all the way back to at least 2014.

Give us a little bit of that history.

Please.

>> And in October of 2014, there is ball outbreak in West Africa and at the time actually Dr One, Kyra, together in Philadelphia in October 2014, when the first Ebola case wasn't Dana find in a Dallas hospital in what happened was because there wasn't nationwide preparedness to nurses unfortunately contracted Ebola.

Both fortunately survived a week and a half later, Dr One and I found ourselves at City Hall.

Dr on Emanuel walked in.

He he looked at the room and said we're not going to be the next Dallas.

He had convened groups of health care leaders, public health leaders, first responders, emergency management leaders.

And at that time the Chicago Ebola Response Network orange and we developed citywide that became a statewide system for preparedness says that time that has evolved beyond the ball and he's helped us address outbreaks related to M-pox COVID-19 measles other serious pathogens in the city of Chicago.

>> And Dr Co Co.

Let's check in with you for a second.

You know, with all this planning around the response rubble of what is the actual risk to Chicago right now?

>> It's very, very low.

And the reason is is because we do still have great coordination.

And so there's work.

I'm going in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in surrounding countries to identify individuals before they leave the country today.

Just within the last few hours, the Department of Homeland Security as made the decision to funnel all flights from Ebola impacted areas too.

Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., and so now we have a focal point in the U.S.

where all individuals at risk we'll fly through and they'll be able to be screened.

And if they have symptoms or have risk factors, there will be systems in place to monitor them to ensure that there's no community spread.

>> And it sounds like what you're just saying just now is a bit of a shift from what we knew earlier in the day where they were 5 specific airports, including O'Hare, where they would be specific screenings for flights coming from that region.

But it sounds like you're saying now they are all going to tell us that we won't be getting any at O'Hare.

They will be landing correct in in past outbreaks, Chicago has been one of 3 or 4 cities over flights have been routed into.

And that's why we have this really great city and state infrastructure.

>> To respond to that.

But in this outbreak and just review the memo in the last hour they are all being funneled to one single airport Washington, D.C.

>> Okay.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Dr Lin, are there treatments vaccines available for Ebola?

What can be done?

>> as not to cause the like mention for this particular strain of Ebola virus, it's really more supportive care.

But that's always been the backbone of treatment for patients with Ebola virus.

And so when we say it's a supportive care really means supporting the patient's terms of their blood pressure in terms of their respiration, their ability to breathe, cetera.

So and well resourced hospitals.

We think that we can do very well in terms of can you patients through something like Ebola virus, but it certainly takes a lot of people and resources and equipment supplies such as PPE.

And that's what we're prepared to do from the standpoint of being a special treatment center.

>> Dr Cosio.

Look, we've got about 30 seconds left.

What would be the next few steps on if case of suspected case were to show up in our area.

>> If a suspected case was identified, the kind department of Public Health Illinois Department of Public Health of the notified immediately.

And if it's a pediatric patient, I would be contacted if its adult patient Dr.

Linwood be contacted and we would activate our bio containment units in our hospitals ensure that we can receive that patients safely promptly and provide them that supportive care.

The document just described.

>> Ok, sounds like we would be well prepared.

We've got the right to guests to talk about this here on Chicago tonight.

So have to leave it there.

I'm sure the 2 of you are monitoring this.

Hopefully we won't have to have you back to