DR Congo confirms more than 6,000 Ebola cases, almost 3,000 deaths
dpaNairobiMore than 6,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the current outbreak, and 2,911 of them have died, the Information Minis...
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has confirmed more than 6,000 cases of the Ebola virus in the current outbreak, with nearly 3,000 fatalities, according to the country's Information Ministry. Experts warn that the actual number of infections may be significantly higher due to underreporting. Currently, 619 individuals are in isolation or receiving treatment for the disease.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has proven challenging to control, primarily because there is no specific vaccine or treatment available yet.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the outbreak in mid-May, suggesting that the first Ebola cases might have gone unnoticed as early as February. The epidemic originated in the northeastern Ituri province, but has since spread to six provinces across Africa's second-largest country by area. Clinical trials for two antiviral treatments have been ongoing since early July, as has a clinical trial involving the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for the more common Zaire strain of the virus.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that there is no confirmation of the Bundibugyo strain mutating.
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