Ebola outbreaks have spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, killing more than 40 people and leaving governments and international aid agencies struggling to respond to the outbreak.
Subscribe to read this story without ads
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
The current Ebola strain, Bundibugyo virus, is a “severe and often fatal form,” according to the World Health Organization. There are no approved treatments or vaccines.
The World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 43 confirmed deaths in each country as of Saturday, including 42 in Congo and one in Uganda, the WHO said. However, 349 people are suspected to have died from the virus in Congo and Uganda.
WHO reported that there were 272 confirmed cases in both countries, including 263 in Congo and nine in Uganda. The Africa CDC has reported a total of 263 confirmed cases across Congo and Uganda, with more than 1,100 suspected cases still under investigation.
According to the WHO, the virus is believed to have originated in fruit bats, and transmission to humans can occur through contact with infected wild animal secretions. It can then be transmitted from person to person in the same way, and the infection can spread through burial practices that involve contact with the deceased and through inadequate infection prevention and control in health care settings.
On Saturday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the Congolese city of Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country’s Ituri province. Tedros advised against unsafe burial practices and urged countries to reconsider travel bans and border closures, saying they “undermine transparency.”
Tedros said Sunday that five patients in Bunia had recovered from the disease, according to the Associated Press. He spoke about the good prognosis for patients at the opening of a new Ebola treatment center in the city.
“Of course we’re still working on vaccines and treatments, but that doesn’t mean people can’t recover from Ebola,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
This is the 17th outbreak of Ebola in Congo. Tedros said on Saturday that the country has always been able to end each outbreak.
“That history gives me real confidence,” the global health chief said.
