Ebola outbreak in Congo becomes the fastest in history and continues to gain momentum
Kyiv • UNN
The Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern DRC has become the fastest-growing in history. Nearly 2,000 confirmed cases of infection have been reported, 702 of which have resulted in death.
The Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the fastest-growing in history, with the fight against it complicated by medical strikes, hostilities, and the spread of disinformation. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
According to official data, nearly 2,000 cases of infection have been confirmed, of which 702 have resulted in death. New suspicions of the disease have already arisen in two more provinces, including one of the country's largest cities, Kisangani. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine, and its spread initially went unnoticed due to testing for another type of Ebola.
The situation is complicated by the unstable security situation in eastern Congo. Medical workers operate under threats from armed groups, and some local residents do not believe in the existence of the virus and refuse to cooperate with doctors. An additional blow was the strike by workers at the Ebola treatment center in Ituri province, who blocked the facility's operations due to weeks-long salary delays.
Despite this, researchers have already begun clinical trials of two potential treatment methods. One involves the use of the antiviral drug remdesivir, and the other involves the experimental antibody-based drug MBP134, which is specifically designed to combat various types of the Ebola virus, including the Bundibugyo strain.