The number of deaths from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to rise. In the past 24 hours, nine more people have died from the Bundibugyo virus. The virus has also spread to three new zones in the country. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to official data from the country's Ministry of Health, the death toll from the dangerous virus has reached 136, and the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 676.
The situation is complicated by the spread of the infection. According to the publication, the new zones affected by the outbreak are located in North Kivu and Ituri.
In Congo's healthcare system, one health zone covers a specific area with a network of clinics and one referral hospital, serving between 100,000 and 150,000 people. The country has more than 500 health zones.
According to the country's epidemiologists, the Bundibugyo strain had been circulating in the republic for about six months before the outbreak was confirmed and a state of emergency was declared on May 15.
In particular, according to a report from the Ituri health department, 108 people died in the city of Mongbwalu back in April. An investigation is now underway to determine whether these deaths could also have been caused by the Ebola virus strain.
Earlier, it became known that the number of people who had recovered from the fever as of June 11 was 30.
Kursiv wrote that the Bundibugyo virus was identified in 2007. It is much rarer than the well-known Zaire strain. Therefore, it is poorly understood and associated with high mortality. At this stage, treatment is limited to supportive therapy and management of complications, and a vaccine will likely have to wait until about the end of 2026.
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