Former White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx says the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is likely larger than reported due to "three or four cycles of infection" before detection.
Appearing on CBS's 'Face the Nation,' Birx warned the rise in cases reflects old data from weeks ago, calling the delay a major concern for monitoring the disease.
The DRC has reported nearly 750 suspected cases and nearly 200 deaths. Birx stressed that the US has deployed a DART team and maintains CDC personnel in Kinshasa, but she questioned why the African CDC-built with hundreds of millions in global investment-failed to detect the outbreak earlier.
Birx defended recent US funding, noting $50-100 million in immediate aid, but acknowledged local programs were cut. She urged a focus on strengthening the African CDC as the primary early warning system.