Kinshasa: The number of Ebola infections and deaths in Congo continues to rise. The latest situation regarding the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shows the cumulative number of suspected cases has exceeded 900, and the death toll has risen to at least 220.
According to Thai News Agency, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have released an update on the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. The latest figures show the cumulative number of suspected cases has exceeded 900, and the death toll has risen to at least 220. A new wave of the Ebola outbreak has spread, leading to the suspension of all passenger flights in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province in the east of the country, one of the most severely affected areas and the epicenter of the outbreak. Meanwhile, neighboring Uganda has reported seven confirmed cases.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, stated that the delay in early detection of the disease has caused the current outbreak to spread faster than medical teams and officials could cope with and prevent it, leaving public health agencies scrambling to catch up. Previously, the WHO declared the situation a global public health emergency and upgraded the risk level within the Democratic Republic of Congo to very high, as the circulating Ebola strain is the rare Bundibugyo, for which there is currently no officially approved vaccine or cure.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, there were reports of violence and riots in Ituri province, with some villagers destroying and burning a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical tent in the mining town of Monvalu. They were angered that officials refused to allow relatives to collect the bodies of deceased Ebola victims for religious rites, citing a risk of disease transmission. The bodies of Ebola victims still have a very high rate of viral transmission through bodily fluids. The obstruction of traditional funeral rites has created high tension between health officials and the local community in the conflict area.
Furthermore, the chaotic situation has resulted in a number of suspected and confirmed patients escaping from medical facilities and returning to the community, increasing the risk of widespread transmission. Meanwhile, many residents continue their daily lives as normal with virtually no hygiene measures in place, despite the outbreak.