The Brazilian government is scrambling to contain a potential Ebola outbreak. Two patients are under emergency monitoring in São Paulo. Both had recent travel to West Africa. One is showing symptoms consistent with the virus. Samples have been sent to a high-security lab in Rio de Janeiro. Results are expected within 48 hours.
President Lula has convened an emergency cabinet meeting. The health minister is briefing reporters behind closed doors. Sources say the military is on standby to mobilise field hospitals. The WHO has offered assistance. But Brazil’s health system is strained. Dengue and Covid are still circulating.
The political stakes are high. Lula’s approval ratings are fragile. A full-blown outbreak would be catastrophic. The opposition is already sharpening their knives. They will blame the government for lax border controls.
Meanwhile, in the favelas, fear is rising. Rumours spread faster than facts. The health ministry is struggling to counter disinformation. Vaccination campaigns have been suspended in affected areas to avoid panic.
A senior official told me: “This is the nightmare scenario. We are doing everything humanly possible. But if it spreads, the political impact will be immense.”
The next 48 hours are critical. If the tests come back positive, Brazil will face its biggest health crisis in decades.
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief
