The head of the World Health Organization says more than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 101 confirmed cases.
"As surveillance efforts have been scaled up in the DRC Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday in a social media post addressing violence in the country that is making it difficult to identify infections and provide care.
"In Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, nearly 5 million people live amid ongoing conflict. Today, 1 in 4 people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and 1 in 5 are internally displaced," he wrote.
"This is severely impeding efforts to scale up Ebola contact tracing and identify infections early enough to provide supportive care."
Ebola, a viral disease that spreads through contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.
The outbreak, which was declared in eastern DRC on 15 May, has been caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Contact tracing and isolation is the only proven way to contain the spread.
Ghebreyesus did not address the death toll. The country’s health ministry said Saturday that 204 deaths had been recorded in three provinces, from 867 suspected cases.
The epidemic is spreading, with neighbouring Uganda confirming three new cases this weekend, bringing the total to five. One person died.
The African Union's health agency warned Saturday that ten countries are at risk, including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
(with AFP)
