WHO has confirmed 550 cases of Ebola infection in DR Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 550 cases of Ebola infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with 101 people becoming victims of the disease. This was reported on the organization's website on June 9.

Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of the Office for Health Emergency Notification and Response, said at a briefing in Geneva (Switzerland) that 550 cases of the disease, 101 deaths and 19 recoveries have been registered in the country so far. The main focus of infection remains the province of Ituri, which accounts for 94% of the total number of cases, which is 487 people.

The WHO representative explained that the increase in morbidity statistics is associated with the expansion of population testing and effective contact tracking of infected individuals. Mahamud also noted that the organization's specialists are conducting investigations to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of another 100 patients with suspected virus.

Back to Bundibugio: Russia is ready to test the world's first vaccine against a new strain of Ebola

New drug will help stop the outbreak of deadly fever in Africa

The Guardian newspaper reported on June 6 that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims that the Ebola virus may be on a "dangerous trajectory" and risks matching the record outbreak of 2014. The CDC predicts that the number of cases could rise to 20,000 or more, depending on "how quickly infected people are isolated to slow the spread of the virus."

The Reuters news agency reported on May 27 that the United Nations has allocated $60 million from an emergency fund to help quell the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the DRC. So far, the outbreak of the virus has resulted in 160 suspected deaths out of 670 suspected cases of infection. On May 15, WHO declared the Ebola epidemic in the DRC and Uganda an international emergency.