Ebola cases in Congo exceed 5,000, government data shows
The outbreak is the country’s deadliest on record, with no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, officials said.
- Following an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a global health emergency as cases surpassed 5,000. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that "the epidemic is far from being under control."
- Formally declared in May, the outbreak began spreading in February and is now the DRC's 17th on record. The Bundibugyo strain currently lacks an approved vaccine or treatment, significantly complicating containment efforts across the eastern region.
- As of August 16, the DRC public health ministry reported 5,021 cases and at least 2,378 deaths with a 47.4 per cent fatality rate. United Nation's humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher reported last week that a person is dying every 30 minutes.
- WHO officials announced the deployment of 100 additional epidemiologists and the addition of more than 400 beds over the past two weeks. Dr. Thierno Baldé emphasized engaging local communities to improve surveillance and response efforts.
- While vaccine trials are underway, officials caution these measures are not yet ready for wide-scale use. Dr. Joanne Liu of McGill University stressed that testing and contact tracing remain essential for containing the outbreak.
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