Ebola cases in the DRC reach 5,515, with 2,642 deaths
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of confirmed Ebola infections has reached 5,515, while the death toll stands at 2,642. According to the latest government data, another 51 cases were identified in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Al Jazeera English reports.
The fatality rate among infected people in the country has risen from about 20% in early June to nearly 48%. At the same time, contact tracing has improved, rising from 30% in June to more than 85%.
Risks for medical workers
According to the World Health Organization, around 160 healthcare workers have contracted the infection, and about 45 of them have died. Response measures in the affected provinces are complicated by armed conflict, population displacement, attacks on medical personnel and healthcare facilities, workers' mobility, and a lack of critical infrastructure.
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The outbreak was declared in mid-May; it is the 17th Ebola epidemic in the DRC. The WHO designated it a public health emergency of international concern; this status also covers neighboring Uganda. The WHO assesses the risk to the world's population as low but warns that it remains very high in the DRC.
Vaccine and international response
The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. The WHO promised to provide 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which is licensed for Ebola and has shown effectiveness during previous outbreaks. Preliminary animal study data indicate that it may provide some protection against the Bundibugyo strain. On Friday, 16,250 vaccine doses arrived in the DRC.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other officials said the response needs to be intensified two to three times in order to cover all affected areas. Pope Leo, at the Vatican, called on the international community to involve local communities in prevention efforts to save as many lives as possible.
