WHO says Congo's fast-moving Ebola outbreak started months before it was declared
The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record started in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May, the World Health Organization said Monday as responders in eastern Congo struggle to catch up.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record began in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May. According to Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, the sequencing of the virus indicates that the outbreak started earlier than initially thought.
Some of the early cases were actually misdiagnosed as malaria and typhoid. As of the latest government figures, there have been 4,200 confirmed cases of Ebola in this outbreak, with over 1,900 deaths. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is unique due to the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.
The outbreak is occurring in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with strikes by unpaid health workers, threats from rebel groups, anger from traumatized communities, and misinformation asserting that Ebola isn't real. Health teams face difficulties traveling remote, unpaved roads and have reported shortages of protective gear.
The outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any other, surpassing the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths. The highly contagious disease can be contracted via bodily fluids and is often fatal. Access to healthcare in the region has been already challenged by years of rebel conflict, and pregnant women and others are now avoiding health centers due to fear of the virus.
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