Ebola Outbreak in Congo Made 117 Victims Out of 200 Confirmed Cases

By , in Health World on . Tagged width: ,

The recent Ebola outbreak that stokes the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is developing faster and hitting harder than previous epidemics in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. The Ministry of Health has confirmed 200 identified cases, of which 117 individuals have died, unfortunately. In a press release, the Congolese health authorities presented the latest statistics and death toll on the recent Ebola outbreak.

Ebola outbreak in Congo made 117 victims out of 200 confirmed cases

“A total of 235 cases of hemorrhagic fever have been reported in the region, including 200 confirmed and 35 probable. Of the 200 confirmed, 117 died, and 61 were healed. The others are hospitalized in the various Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs) set,” health authorities revealed.

The geographical distribution of the 200 people who were infected with the Ebola virus shows that the city of Beni, which totals for 93 cases, has become the new epicenter of this new Ebola outbreak.

The outbreak began earlier this year in the village of Mangima before spreading to Beni, Butembo, Oicha, Masereka, Kalunguta, and Musienne (North Kivu), as well as in the towns of Mandima, Komanda, and Tchomia in neighboring Ituri province.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the Ebola outbreak to be “of great concern” but does not constitute a “global health emergency at this time,” as the WHO reported.

Locals’ lack of awareness boosts the risks of Ebola virus spread

In Butembo, according to the Ministry of Health, some young people exhumed the body of a man who died of the Ebola virus this weekend. Per some rumors, a group of individuals opened the body bag to verify “that no organs had been removed from the body.” Of course, by opening the body bag, these people came in direct contact with a body of an Ebola-infected person, exposing themselves to the virus. The next day, luckily, they agreed to get vaccinated, according to some reports.

Additionally, the lack of elementary hygiene is also a significant issue across the affected regions and could contribute to the spread of the Ebola outbreak.

Vadim Ioan Caraiman

Vadim is a passionate writer on various topics but especially on stuff related to health, technology, and science. Therefore, for Great Lakes Ledger, Vadim will cover health and Sci&Tech news.