WHO warns Congo Ebola outbreak may be two to four times larger than reported
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2 months · 3 summary articles
WHO warns Congo Ebola outbreak may be two to four times larger than reported
Ebola outbreak in Congo spreads to two more provinces as clinical trial for treatments begins
DR Congos Ebola outbreak spreads fastest on record as deaths top 600
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The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that the true scale of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could be two to four times higher than the official tally.
According to the latest official figures, the haemorrhagic fever has infected more than 1,960 people and killed over 700 since it was detected in mid-May. However, WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva that the organization's modeling indicates "the scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found".
"This is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever, and we've seen the fastest growth in a single month since the outbreak started, and of all the Ebola outbreaks that we've managed," Ihekweazu said.
The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich northeastern province plagued by armed groups. Cases of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, have so far been found in five DRC provinces, as well as in neighboring Uganda. But more than 90 percent of cases are still being detected in Ituri, Ihekweazu said.
The outbreak, which is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment, "continues to outpace the response efforts by the national authorities, international partners, including WHO, and the communities most affected," Ihekweazu added.
In a concerning development, healthcare workers in the affected areas are threatening to go on strike over the non-payment of their salaries. At the Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, one of the hardest-hit areas, healthcare workers burned a tire in protest on Monday and temporarily blocked access routes, according to the AFP news agency.
The facility is located in Ituri province, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, where at least 384 cases have been confirmed, including 89 deaths. DRC’s National Institute of Public Health said healthcare workers accounted for a significant number of Ebola cases, including 112 transmissions and 35 deaths by Sunday.
"Since May 15, we have been caring for Ebola patients without pay. We continue to treat them because of our oath, but we are working under very difficult conditions," Pascal Bahoya, a physician at the Rwampara center, told AFP on Monday.
The doctors explained that after a “48-hour ultimatum” for the payment of their salaries and bonuses, they would go on a “total strike”, meaning a work stoppage with no minimum service until changes were seen.
According to official numbers, this is already one of the largest Ebola outbreaks recorded, with the virus spreading faster than ever seen before.
Just back from a week-long trip to the region, Ihekweazu said the crisis remained "deeply concerning".
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Articles
DR Congo Ebola outbreaks true scale could be four times bigger than official toll, WHO says The true number of Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo is at least double, and possibly four times, the official tally, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Official figures hold that the fever has infected nearly 2,000 people since mid-May. 👉 Read more:
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