Published 3 days ago • loading... • Updated 2 days ago
WHO Raises DRC Ebola Risk to 'Very High;' 177 Deaths Suspected
WHO says the outbreak is spreading rapidly and remains low risk globally as Congo reports nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Friday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "spreading rapidly," upgrading the national risk level to "very high" with approximately 750 suspected infections and 177 fatalities recorded.
The Bundibugyo variant spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo and into neighbouring Uganda is fatal in roughly one in three cases and currently lacks an approved vaccine or treatment.
American doctor Jen Caudle, with more than 310,000 TikTok followers, explained that Ebola "requires direct contact with bodily fluids" such as blood or saliva, making it less transmissible than COVID.
The United Nations released $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund on Friday, while $23 million in pledges aim to establish up to 50 treatment clinics across Congo and Uganda.
Ugandan authorities expressed uncertainty about the proposed treatment clinics, while Oxford University researchers developing a vaccine note it will not be available for several months.
There are almost 750 suspected cases of Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The USA is demanding 21 days of isolation for the Congolese team before the World Cup.