DR Congo Ebola outbreak's true scale could be four times higher than official toll, WHO says
WHO says four in five new cases lack known links, suggesting the outbreak may be two to four times larger than confirmed counts.
- On Jul 13, the National Institute of Public Health reported that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to northeastern provinces Haut-Uele and Tshopo.
- Concentrated in Ituri, the 17th Ebola outbreak has reached 1,926 confirmed cases, including 702 deaths, according to official data.
- On Jul 11, the National Institute of Public Health designated the new provinces an "epidemic zone," noting that cases appear primarily imported from Niania in Ituri.
- A senior World Health Organization official cautioned last week that the true scale of the outbreak could be four times larger, as most new cases lack known epidemiological links.
- Haut-Uele shares borders with South Sudan and the Central African Republic, while Tshopo's provincial capital, Kisangani, is a major city in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Ebola: Source of majority of new cases unknown, WHO official says
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo “continues to outpace the response efforts,” the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief said on Tuesday after returning from a trip to Bunia, in Ituri province, which is one of the worst hit areas
The World Health Organization reports that Ebola often spreads through unknown routes in the Congo. Many infected people are therefore not covered and cannot be treated by doctors.
WHO says DR Congo Ebola outbreak could be two to four times larger
The World Health Organization has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is likely much larger than official figures, with modelling suggesting the true number of infections ranges from two to four times the confirmed total. The warning came as doctors and other health workers at the centre of the outbreak threatened to stop work over unpaid salaries, adding pressure to an already stretched response.
Ebola outbreak much larger than official figures, WHO says
The outbreak, which has infected almost 2,000 people and killed over 700, could be at least two to four times larger than official figures, the UN health agency warned. The current outbreak is in the DRC and Uganda.
Responsible for the WHO program in the region called for early detection of cases and reinforcement of screenings. Epidemic was reported two months ago in the northeast of the country.
"They come from unknown transmission chains," says WHO Executive Director for Emergencies Chikwe Ihekweazu
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