Bunia (Congo), 22 June (LaPresse) – Confirmed cases of Ebola have exceeded 1,000 in eastern Congo. According to the authorities, a total of 1,003 cases have been recorded, including 254 deaths. The Congolese Ministry of Health has also reported that a total of 100 people have recovered from the outbreak, which is centred in Ituri province, since it was declared on 15 May. The Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus – for which there are no vaccines or treatments – has reached its highest level ever after just one month. The authorities admit that there could be many more cases of which they are not yet aware and that the peak of the outbreak is yet to come. Contact tracing remains a crucial issue for local authorities, who have achieved a coverage rate of only 55 per cent, the ministry said. The authorities have not yet identified the index case of the outbreak and still need to trace over 35,000 people who, as of last week, had come into contact with infected individuals.
Ebola: over a thousand confirmed cases in Congo, 254 deaths
Bunia (Congo), 22 June (LaPresse) – Confirmed cases of Ebola have exceeded 1,000 in eastern Congo. According to the authorities, a total of 1,003 cases have been recorded, including 254 deaths. The Congolese Ministry of Health has also reported that a total of 100 people have recovered from the outbreak, which is centred in Ituri province, since it was declared on 15 May. The Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus – for which there are no vaccines or treatments – has reached its highest level ever after just one month. The authorities admit that there could be many more cases of which they are not yet aware and that the peak of the outbreak is yet to come. Contact tracing remains a crucial issue for local authorities, who have achieved a coverage rate of only 55 per cent, the ministry said. The authorities have not yet identified the index case of the outbreak and still need to trace over 35,000 people who, as of last week, had come into contact with infected individuals.
