Ebola cases in Congo exceed 5,000, government data shows
The outbreak is the country’s deadliest on record, with no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, officials said.
- Following an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a global health emergency as cases surpassed 5,000. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that "the epidemic is far from being under control."
- Formally declared in May, the outbreak began spreading in February and is now the DRC's 17th on record. The Bundibugyo strain currently lacks an approved vaccine or treatment, significantly complicating containment efforts across the eastern region.
- As of August 16, the DRC public health ministry reported 5,021 cases and at least 2,378 deaths with a 47.4 per cent fatality rate. United Nation's humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher reported last week that a person is dying every 30 minutes.
- WHO officials announced the deployment of 100 additional epidemiologists and the addition of more than 400 beds over the past two weeks. Dr. Thierno Baldé emphasized engaging local communities to improve surveillance and response efforts.
- While vaccine trials are underway, officials caution these measures are not yet ready for wide-scale use. Dr. Joanne Liu of McGill University stressed that testing and contact tracing remain essential for containing the outbreak.
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Ebola Congo cases surpass 5,000 as record-setting pace of spread continues
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has passed 5,000 cases, government data showed, an unprecedented rate of spread that's outpacing efforts to slow it in one of the country's remotest regions.
Associated Press News
Congo’s Ebola outbreak reaches 5,000 cases as it outpaces response efforts at unprecedented speed
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached 5,000 cases as responders warn it is spreading at an unprecedented speed outpacing efforts to slow it in one of the country’s remotest regions.
Ebola in the D.R.C.: What to know about 'unprecedented' outbreak
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an "unprecedented speed," according to the World Health Organization. Experts say armed conflict and a lack of vaccines or treatment are among several factors complicating response efforts.
Attempts to curb Ebola cases in DR Congo fail with more than 5,000 confirmed
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing the biggest Ebola epidemic in its history. Government data showed on Tuesday that cases now exceed 5,000. Efforts to contain the deadly illness are being hampered by weak health infrastructure, community resistance and instability.
More than 5,000 cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since May, 5,021 people have been found to have been infected with the highly contagious infectious disease, according to the Regional Office of Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO). So far, 2,378 patients in the Central African country have died of Ebola - which corresponds to a death rate of 47.4 percent. After all, according to the Congolese healt…
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