The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported an increase in the incidence of a dangerous infection. According to official data from the country's authorities, by the beginning of the week, the number of confirmed cases of Ebola virus infection reached 1,500. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the publication, the number of confirmed cases of Ebola fever in the DRC reached 1,561, including 506 deaths.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier stated that over the past two weeks, an average of 38 new confirmed cases were registered daily in the DRC.
He also announced that trials of a new drug against Ebola have begun in the republic, which may take several months. More than a thousand patients will participate.
Specifically, the study will evaluate the experimental drug MBP134 from Mapp Biopharmaceutical as a standalone treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, as well as in combination with a drug from Gilead Sciences.
According to WHO, there are sufficient drug supplies for the trials. The organization is currently negotiating with the United States to ensure patient access to the drugs after the trials are completed, if they prove effective.
Earlier, WHO warned that Ebola could spread from neighboring countries to South Sudan with a probability of about 70%.
Recall that the outbreak in Congo began in mid-May. The cause was the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment. The World Health Organization estimates the timeline for developing a vaccine against this strain to be at least six months.