Kinshasa, July 4 (IANS). There have been 1,502 confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including 473 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the outbreak still remains serious.
According to the latest report released by DRC public health authorities on Friday (local time), 628 patients are currently in isolation or hospital and 229 people have recovered in the country. A total of 213 suspected cases have also been reported, including 63 deaths.
In an online media briefing, Mohammed Yacoub Janabi, WHO’s regional director for Africa, said the situation remained serious and infections were spreading in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu.
Janabi said the current outbreak is the largest Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak to date, Xinhua news agency reported.
Pierre Aklimali, WHO expert in the DRC, said the outbreak is spreading in areas affected by insecurity and the activities of armed groups, making it difficult to detect cases and contact tracing. Some of the affected areas of Ituri are in the mining zone, where the risk of spread of the virus has increased due to the constant movement of people from outside.
WHO said on Thursday that a clinical trial has started in the DRC to test a possible treatment for the Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for this disease.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Sensasi, WHO expert in Uganda, said that as of Thursday, 20 confirmed cases have been reported in the country, of which 15 cases are from people coming from outside. The remaining five people were found infected locally, who were identified during quarantine. No case of community transmission (spread of infection in the community) has been seen in these.
Sensasi said Uganda and the DRC have created a joint system of cross-border cooperation and signed a memorandum of understanding. Under this, both the countries will share information related to surveillance and strengthen the capacity of screening and treatment in the border areas.
–IANS
OP/DKP
