Deaths in Congo’s Ebola outbreak have topped 5,000 as the country grapples with the relentless spread of the disease and cases are recorded in other African countries, the latest government data on Saturday shows.
Data from the Congolese Ministry of Health showed that the disease has killed 5,026 people out of 10,351 infected, at a nearly 50% lethality rate. The surge is sparking concerns among experts regarding the authorities’ ability to contain the deadly virus.
The latest outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May, catching authorities by surprise. They have since struggled to manage it.
It is already the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, second only to a two-year-long West Africa outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people across multiple countries.
“It is a very tragic milestone because it is just not a number,” said Dr. Patrick Otim, a programme area manager with the World Health Organization. “It is families and communities that have been devastated by this outbreak. The number also shows the severity of this outbreak.”
2,788 people have recovered from the virus so far. The Bundibugyo virus has no known vaccine or treatment, but health workers treat patients based on symptoms.
One-third of people who have died did not get to receive any care
Since May, the disease has spread to 67 out of the country’s 178 health zones in eight of 26 provinces. Fifty of the affected 67 health zones have active cases.
The virus has been concentrated in the eastern region of Congo, especially in Ituri and North Kivu, which have emerged as the epicenters with 9,782 total confirmed cases and 4,792 total deaths.
Authorities are still struggling with tracing contacts and testing, key components in the race to curb the outbreak.
According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 80% of new cases are coming from outside the chain of monitored contacts, meaning an overwhelming share of infections are coming from unknown chains of transmission to health authorities.
Also, one-third of recorded deaths are victims who have died outside of treatment centers, before being tested for Ebola, WHO’s Otim said. These issues, health officials say, contribute to community transmission outside of the immediate purview of health workers who can effectively manage infection in accordance with medical protocols.
“These are people we never had opportunity to try to save them and it is one of the biggest concerns for us in this outbreak. How do we try to reach people early to get them to come to health facilities to get a fighting chance to survive?” Otim said.
Source: www.africanews.com
