KABUL (Pajhwok): The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 3,200, including at least 1,405 deaths, according to government data released on Sunday.
Health workers are struggling to contain the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak, with infections increasing by about 1,000 cases in just 10 days, Al Jazeera reported.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said nearly 90 percent of the cases have been recorded in the northeastern province of Ituri, which borders South Sudan and Uganda.
The UN health agency said the virus has spread to five provinces, including two new provinces that have recently reported infections.
“In many cases the humanitarian community wants to help, but the real challenge is getting there,” said Hedley Tah of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which transports medical teams and emergency responders to affected areas.
Tah said UNHAS is also transporting laboratory samples to support testing and maintain disease surveillance.
Congolese authorities said improved detection and expanded testing have helped identify more infections.
Officials warned the outbreak could continue for several more months, while strikes by healthcare workers over unpaid salaries have disrupted response efforts at some hospitals.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people and causes severe hemorrhagic fever. The disease has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades.
Scientists are accelerating efforts to develop vaccines and treatments for the Bundibugyo strain.
Oxford University announced on Friday that the first group of volunteers had received an experimental vaccine targeting the strain. Several other vaccine candidates are also being fast-tracked for clinical trials, while two potential treatments remain under development.
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