WHO Warns of Rapid Spread in Congo Ebola Outbreak
The World Health Organization has announced that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fastest-spreading outbreak to date, with deaths on the rise.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fastest-spreading outbreak ever seen, drawing attention to the rising numbers of cases and deaths.
Dimensions of the Outbreak Disclosed
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with journalists at the UN Office at Geneva.
He reported that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest on record and the fastest-spreading outbreak seen to date.
Case and Death Tolls Are Rising
Ghebreyesus noted that the number of cases in the outbreak has exceeded 6,000 and deaths have reached 3,000.
Epicenter of the Outbreak is Ituri Province
Emphasizing that the outbreak has affected 60 health zones across six provinces, Ghebreyesus stated that Ituri province accounts for 85 percent of cases and 88 percent of deaths.
With these rates, Ituri continues to be the epicenter of the outbreak.
Factors Fueling Transmission
The fact that the majority of deaths occur outside treatment centers and that safe burials are not being performed fuels transmission.
The occurrence of many deaths among individuals not on the known contacts list points to unknown transmission chains.
WHO's Response Efforts
WHO continues its efforts to scale up the response under the leadership of the DRC government.
In this context, more than 330 tons of emergency supplies and over 300 experts have been deployed.
New Vaccine and Safety Trials
Safety trials are underway in the UK and Canada for two new vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus.
Efforts are ongoing to advance all three vaccines toward efficacy trials expected to begin in October or November.