DR Congo Ebola Death Toll Rises to 247 Amidst 956 Confirmed Cases

The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has raised the death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak to 247, with a total of 956 confirmed cases of the disease. The outbreak, which began on May 15 in the country's eastern region, has a current fatality rate of 25.8%, according to the latest report from the National Institute of Public Health (INSP).

Health authorities have placed 316 patients in isolation in hospitals. The INSP noted that 92 individuals infected with the virus have successfully recovered. "We are observing a growing number of confirmed cases week after week, which reflects the continued transmission of the disease within the community. If public health measures are not rapidly implemented, the epidemic could expand geographically with speed," the INSP warned.

The epidemic officially started in Ituri, a province bordering Uganda and South Sudan, which has become the epicenter. However, it has since spread to the also eastern Congolese provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. The epidemic has also reached Uganda, where 19 confirmed infections have been detected, including 14 cases considered imported from the DRC, resulting in two deaths.

The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate ranging from 30% to 50%. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that no authorized vaccine or specific treatment exists for this strain. The WHO considers the risk of the outbreak expanding in sub-Saharan Africa to be "high" and the global risk to be "low." The WHO estimates the virus began circulating in Ituri about two months before the outbreak was officially declared, and in May, the epidemic was classified as an "emergency of public health of international concern."