Dr congo: The fatal Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is spreading rapidly, the WHO warned Friday, despite accelerating efforts to tackle the virus. The WHO said it was still racing to catch up with the worsening situation gripping northeastern DR Congo. "The outbreak remains serious" and is "evolving so fast", said Marie-Roseline Belizaire, the WHO Africa emergencies chief. According to France24.com, the outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment. There have been 896 confirmed cases so far in DR Congo, including 232 confirmed deaths, with 21 new cases in the last 24 hours, as per the latest WHO update. More than 90 percent of known cases in DR Congo have been in conflict-wracked Ituri, with the outbreak also spreading to North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Belizaire emphasized that the epidemic is evolving so rapidly that the response efforts are struggling to keep up. The virus spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids. The number of treatment beds available for Ebola patients has increased from zero to more than 500, and surveillance teams are now investigating nearly 400 alerts, capable of administering over 2,000 tests a day. Efforts to trace contacts of known Ebola cases have improved, with 75 percent of all contacts now being reached. The WHO has indicated that 95 percent of contacts need to be traced to control the outbreak. Misinformation is complicating efforts to control the outbreak. Belizaire noted that some people falling ill were opting for traditional healers before seeking healthcare, delaying access to treatment. In DR Congo, 78 people have recovered from Ebola, underscoring the importance of timely diagnosis and access to quality healthcare. Healthcare workers have been significantly impacted, with 75 healthcare workers infected, 17 of whom have died. Belizaire highlighted the high risk faced by healthcare workers, stating that "it is a really high price that the healthcare system is paying. " A Chinese medical team has arrived in the capital Kinshasa and is heading to Bunia to aid in the response. In neighboring Uganda, the only other country affected, there have been 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and 10 recoveries. The UN migration agency has implemented over a million health screenings at borders and travel corridors as part of surveillance measures to detect potential cases.
