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WHO: Ebola outbreak in Congo likely started in February
🇳🇴 Norway /Health & Science

WHO: Ebola outbreak in Congo likely started in February

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Ebola outbreak in Congo likely began in February, months before it was publicly announced, according to the World Health Organization.
  • The outbreak is concentrated in the Ituri province, with nearly 90% of cases, but has spread to five other provinces, including the city of Kisangani.
  • Approximately 4,000 infections and 1,850 deaths have been recorded, with challenges in containment including delayed tracking, difficult access, community skepticism, and violent attacks.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo likely started in February, several months before it was officially declared, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. The epidemic is primarily concentrated in the remote Ituri province in the eastern part of the country, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all cases. However, confirmed cases have also appeared in five other provinces, including Kisangani, one of Congo's largest cities.

The Ebola outbreak in Congo is mainly concentrated in the remote Ituri province in the east of the country. Almost 90 percent of the cases are registered there, but cases have also been confirmed in five other provinces, including one of the country's largest cities, Kisangani.

— WHODescribing the geographical spread of the outbreak.

As of the report, nearly 4,000 people have been registered as infected, with 1,850 deaths, according to Reuters. The WHO and Africa CDC cited several factors hindering containment efforts. These include delays in contact tracing, difficulties reaching affected areas, skepticism within some local communities, and violent attacks from various groups and individuals.

According to WHO, the outbreak likely started in February, several months before the outbreak was declared.

— WHOProviding the estimated timeline for the outbreak's origin.

The current outbreak is linked to the bundibugyo virus variant, which has a mortality rate of 30 to 50 percent. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment specifically for this variant, complicating efforts to control its spread.

So far, 4,000 have been registered as infected, including 1,850 dead, according to the news agency Reuters.

— ReutersReporting the total number of infections and deaths.
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Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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