Bunia (Congo), 27 Oct. (LaPresse/AP) – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases, with 10,060 infections recorded and nearly half of the patients having died. Declared in May, the outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. It is the fastest-growing outbreak ever recorded and the deadliest in the country’s history. The virus has spread to five countries, reaching as far as Kenya and Nigeria, whilst there are currently no active cases in Uganda or France. In the Congo, the outbreak affects 66 health zones across eight provinces. Around 80 per cent of new cases involve people who were not among those being monitored as contacts, a sign that the chains of transmission remain partly unknown to the authorities. At least half of the deaths involve people who were not admitted to treatment centres.
Ebola: Congo surpasses 10,000 cases
Bunia (Congo), 27 Oct. (LaPresse/AP) – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases, with 10,060 infections recorded and nearly half of the patients having died. Declared in May, the outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. It is the fastest-growing outbreak ever recorded and the deadliest in the country’s history. The virus has spread to five countries, reaching as far as Kenya and Nigeria, whilst there are currently no active cases in Uganda or France. In the Congo, the outbreak affects 66 health zones across eight provinces. Around 80 per cent of new cases involve people who were not among those being monitored as contacts, a sign that the chains of transmission remain partly unknown to the authorities. At least half of the deaths involve people who were not admitted to treatment centres.