Ebola Death Toll in Congo Exceeds 2,000
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has so far led to 4,381 confirmed cases and 2,111 deaths, and aid workers say the speed of the disease’s spread has outpaced the country’s health system. Security problems, shortages of resources and strikes by health workers have also made efforts to contain the disease more difficult.
According to CBS News, the disease has now spread to five provinces in Congo. A large share of new cases is being identified among people who had not previously been monitored as contacts of patients, making it harder to trace the chain of virus transmission.
At the same time, a number of health workers have gone on strike in protest over unpaid wages since the outbreak began. Armed clashes and damaged transport routes have also limited access for medical and relief teams to remote areas.
The current wave has been attributed to a rare strain of the Ebola virus known as Bundibugyo. No approved vaccine or treatment is currently available for this strain, although clinical trials have begun in Ituri province, the main epicentre of the outbreak, to examine possible treatment and vaccine options.
The World Health Organization says the outbreak may have begun in February, several months before Congolese authorities were able to detect it. According to the organisation, some of the early cases were initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid, and testing first focused on the more common strain of Ebola.
Dr. Muhammad Yaqub Janabi, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said health teams are chasing the virus, but the virus is ahead of them. The Democratic Republic of Congo is located in central Africa, and Ituri province in the east of the country is among the main areas affected by the outbreak.
