Ebola Cases On The Rise in DRC; 764 People Dead

There has been a stark rise in Ebola cases in DRC in the past couple of weeks. Latest figures from the DRC Ministry of Health indicate that 764 people have died from the disease, an increase of about 100 in just two weeks. The current number of cases stands at 1206 - earlier this week it was 1168. 358 Ebola patients have recovered.

Of the 1260 cases, 1140 are confirmed and 66 are suspected. 246 suspected cases are currently under investigation. 20 new cases have been confirmed: 8 from Katwa, 7 from Vuhovi,  2 from Mabalako, 1 from Butembo, 1 from Komanda, and 1 from Beni. Of those 20, there have been 13 deaths: 6 community deaths - 2 from Katwa,  2 from Mabalako, 1 from Butembo and 1 from Komanda - and 7 deaths in CTE (Ebola treatment centre) of which 6 were from Katwa and 1 was from Butembo. 4 of these new cases have recovered, of which 3 were treated at a CTE in Butembo and 1 at a CTE in Beni. 

The ministry is tracking 107 contacts identified around the case confirmed in Bunia.

DRC has been battling this Ebola crisis since August last year when the first case was confirmed in the eastern region of Kivu. The current outbreak started days after the end of the outbreak in Equateur province. The index case for the current outbreak is believed to have been the death and unsafe burial of a 65-year-old woman on July 25 in the town of Mangina; soon afterwards seven members of her immediate family died. 

The Ebola virus is highly virulent and is transmissible by contact with bodily fluids, secretions, and excreta from infected persons. It is assigned to the highest level of containment - Biosafety Level 4. 

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