Congo Ebola Outbreak Grows To 671 Suspected Cases, 160 Deaths

DAKAR, May 22 (NNN-dpa) – The number of Ebola infections in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is continuing to rise rapidly, local authorities said, with the Health Ministry reporting 671 suspected cases and 160 suspected deaths, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

The ministry said 64 infections and six deaths had been confirmed through laboratory testing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday that nearly 600 suspected cases and more than 130 suspected deaths had been recorded. The agency said the true number of infections was likely significantly higher because not all cases were being reported.

In neighbouring Uganda, the Health Ministry said no new infections had been detected beyond the two previously confirmed cases involving Congolese nationals. One of the patients had died. The second patient tested negative for the virus for a second time on Wednesday and remained under treatment, the ministry said.

According to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the outbreak began in Congo's northeastern Ituri province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. It is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in Congo since 1976.

The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no vaccine or specific treatment exists, making the situation particularly difficult to contain.

Ebola is a highly infectious and life-threatening disease transmitted through direct contact with infected people or bodily fluids. More than 11,000 people died during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from 2014 to 2015.

--NNN-dpa