More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in DR Congo — Asharq Al-Awsat

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the number of deaths during the Ebola outbreak has exceeded 4,000. The country’s Ministry of Health reported 4,018 deaths among 8,300 confirmed cases, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

The agency released the updated data on Thursday. According to the publication, this outbreak has been described as the fastest-spreading in Ebola’s history.

Rare virus strain

The outbreak in Congo was announced on May 15. It was caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no known treatment or vaccine, according to the Associated Press.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The World Health Organization has recently warned about the virus’s rapid geographical spread into new health zones. This is placing additional strain on the limited resources of the response system.

Mistrust and attacks on medical workers

The authorities’ efforts to contain the disease are complicated by mistrust among part of the population toward medical workers and government actions. Last month, authorities introduced an approach focused on individual villages, but some residents continue to resist the measures, calling Ebola a fabrication.

Attacks on medical workers and other participants in the epidemic response have also been recorded in the country. Last month, a local politician was beaten to death. The current outbreak is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.