The Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus that is currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo is continuing to spread, as health care workers struggle to contain the outbreak. At least 930 people have died, although that number is likely larger and expected to continue to increase.
This outbreak is spreading faster than any previous outbreak in DRC, with 37 new deaths recorded over 24 hours during the weekend. These new deaths, which were officially declared on Saturday, are one of the highest daily increases recorded since the Ebola outbreak was first declared in the DRC on May 15th.
The health ministry said on Monday that the number of confirmed cases had reached at least 2,344, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
The World Health Organization says that this is the largest-spreading outbreak in DRC history. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC in 2018-2020 “took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases”. This time, it took only two months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, and the WHO said the true tally could be at least double that. –Al Jazeera
Tedros claimed that Ebola is spreading at an unprecedented rate in DRC, but Uganda is close to being “virus-free.”
Ebola is a hemorrhagic disease, meaning it causes certain bodily orifices to hemorrhage blood.
Ebola infection is caused by viruses in the Orthoebolaviruses family and can cause serious and often deadly disease, with a mortality rate as high as 80-90%. Ebola is not spread through the air, such as a cold, flu, or COVID-19. Ebola is transmitted via contact with infected bodily fluids.
Ebola Workers Begun Unofficial Strike As Deaths Approach 600
More Health Workers Strike At Ebola Centers
In Ituri, where the death toll is growing at the fastest rate, problems continue to surface. Healthcare workers began a strike last week and blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital. Staff complained of not receiving any compensation for their work since the outbreak began, despite treating patients in difficult and dangerous conditions.
This outbreak, while being stabilized in Uganda, is nowhere near being over in the DRC.