Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed over 1,000 people - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reports that more than 1,000 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, citing Africa’s top public health agency. Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a health summit in Ghana on Wednesday that 1,031 deaths had been confirmed. Congo’s Health Ministry reported 2,473 cases as of Monday, with at least 737 patients isolated or hospitalized.

The outbreak was declared May 15 and is centered in Ituri province, with cases also recorded in four other provinces, according to the AP account. Photos from Bunia General Hospital on July 22 showed health workers in protective equipment disinfecting a coffin and an ambulance at an Ebola treatment center, underscoring the strain on local response teams.

Health officials say this outbreak is especially difficult because it is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which the AP says there are no approved vaccines or treatments. The article says it has killed people faster than any recorded Ebola outbreak, including the 2013-2016 West Africa epidemic, which ultimately caused more than 11,000 deaths among at least 28,000 cases but took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

The AP reports that conflict, community resistance and gaps in the response are contributing to the spread. The World Health Organization has warned the actual scale could be two to four times higher than official figures, and officials say 80% of new cases are outside known transmission chains. Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe, often fatal disease.