Again — USAID’s early detection and arrest capabilities would have made all the difference here. Thus, these excess deaths are directly attributable to Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Damn.

To be certain, the wildly-difficult work here — of getting the “evil djin back in the bottle” is all the more daunting because it is not clear that any of the existing vaccine stock will be effective, against the rather rare — but presently circulating — Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. In about five elapsed days, the fatalities have… TRIPLED. Here’s the morning’s tough news — and a bit:

…At least 131 people are believed to have died and 531 suspected to have been infected, according to the Congolese Health Ministry. An American missionary was among those who tested positive for the deadly disease.

Global health experts are worried about the capacity of this outbreak to cause widespread illness and death in central Africa — not least because this rare strain of Ebola, the Bundibugyo virus, has no approved vaccine or treatment and a shortage of available tests.

The outbreak was also undetected for weeks, adding to the complexities in containing it. It has ripped through a region riven by civil war and conflict, while health officials said funding shortages were further hampering their ability to fight Ebola….

Several metric tonnes of protective gear and sanitary supplies arrived in Buni, Ituri’s capital city yesterday, from Doctors Without Borders. But that will only be a tiny child’s finger — in the now-bursting dyke.

So, let history record that it was MAGA fecklessness — and racism — that were the twin causes of this, the excess deaths now being recorded.

नमस्ते