Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth DR Congo province
Mercy Corps warned about the risk of the virus spreading to South Sudan, which borders both Ituri and Haut-Uele.
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a sixth province, raising concerns it could cross into South Sudan. The disease, which began in Ituri province, is the deadliest in the country's history, with over 2,128 deaths out of 4,566 confirmed cases. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Until now, five provinces - Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo - had been affected. The current outbreak is spreading rapidly; in just three months, there have been seven times more cases and five times more deaths than in the first three months of the largest Ebola outbreak in history, which occurred in West Africa in 2014.
The World Health Organization hopes to curb the spread within three months, but the response is hampered by stretched health services, lack of clean water and sanitation, and insecurity in some areas. North Kivu and South Kivu provinces are also divided by the conflict between the Congolese army and the anti-government armed group M23.
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- Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth DR Congo province freemalaysiatoday.com
