KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced.
According to Reuters, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said that 101 of the suspected cases had been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Reuters report published two days ago that at least 177 deaths linked to the Ebola virus had so far been recorded, although the actual toll was likely higher.
Addressing reporters, Tedros said: “We are now revising our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level.”
He added that 82 cases had so far been confirmed in Congo, including seven confirmed deaths, while authorities had also recorded 177 suspected deaths and nearly 750 suspected infections.
Tedros said the situation in Uganda remained stable, with two confirmed cases involving people who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including one fatality.
No updated death toll from the virus has been released recently.
Doctors say Ebola is a highly contagious and dangerous viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people or animals. Symptoms include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and, in severe cases, bleeding.
Health experts say maintaining personal hygiene, washing hands regularly, and avoiding contact with infected individuals or contaminated objects are among the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease.
The virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
sa
