Ebola Outbreak in Congo Nears 1,000 Deaths

Kathmandu. The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached nearly one thousand. According to official figures released on Wednesday, at least 999 people have died in this outbreak so far.

According to the Ministry of Health of Congo, 2,473 people have been infected in the country as of Monday, and 737 patients are undergoing treatment in isolation and hospitals.

This Ebola outbreak, announced on May 15, is one of the fastest-spreading outbreaks to date, officials said. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the 'Bundibugyo' virus that has spread this time.

Health officials say that this outbreak has caused significant human loss in a short period compared to past major Ebola outbreaks. In the Ebola outbreak that spread in West Africa from 2013-2016, more than 11,000 people died, but it took about eight months for the death toll to reach one thousand.

Ebola is a highly contagious disease that can be transmitted through contact with infected person's blood, bodily fluids, etc. Health experts say that this disease is severe and life-threatening in many cases.

Officials said that the source of infection has not yet been identified in about 80 percent of the new infections. They said this makes infection control and surveillance more challenging.

Health teams have intensified control and treatment efforts in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, and other affected areas. However, the campaign has been affected by attacks on health centers and response teams and protests by some health workers.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said at a health conference in Ghana that more immediate efforts are needed to control the outbreak.

'If we do not stop it now, it could become one of the most serious Ebola outbreaks the world has ever seen,' he warned.