Ebola infections in DR Congo surge to 3,200, with 1,405 deaths

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing government data, reported that Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have climbed to 3,200, with at least 1,405 deaths, as authorities and medical teams try to control the country’s 17th recorded outbreak. The figures, released on Sunday and reported July 27, show roughly 1,000 additional cases in 10 days. The outbreak was declared on May 15.

The report said the outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organization said almost 90 percent of reported cases are in Ituri province in the northeast, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. The virus has now been reported in five provinces, including two where it spread recently.

Access remains a major obstacle for responders. Al Jazeera quoted Hedley Tah of the UN Humanitarian Air Service as saying the difficulty is reaching affected areas, while the air service is also helping transport medical teams and laboratory samples. Authorities said better testing and detection have contributed to the identification of more infections. The response has also been affected in some hospitals by strikes involving health workers seeking unpaid wages.

Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe hemorrhagic fever. Al Jazeera noted that Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades. Scientists are working on medical tools for the Bundibugyo strain, including experimental vaccines and potential treatments; Oxford University said the first volunteers had received a candidate vaccine targeting the strain.