WHO concerned by 'scale and speed' of Ebola spread in DRC

The WHO director general expressed concern about the scale and speed of the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An emergency meeting is planned in Geneva to review developments in Ituri province and other parts of eastern DRC. The outbreak involves a rare Bundibugyo strain with no recognized vaccine. Cases are occurring in remote, sometimes war-torn areas, making laboratory testing of suspected cases slow and difficult. The Congolese health minister reported about 131 total deaths and around 513 suspected cases, noting that reported deaths are those identified in the community and not necessarily linked to Ebola. Earlier figures cited 91 probable deaths among 350 suspected cases. Germany is preparing to treat a US doctor infected with the virus, and cases have been recorded in Ituri and North Kivu near the Uganda border, including locations such as Bunia and Butembo.

"The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday voiced concern about the "scale and speed" of the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO is holding an emergency meeting later on Tuesday in Geneva to discuss developments in Ituri province and other parts of eastern DRC. The outbreak involves a rare strain of Ebola, called Bundibugyo, for which these is no recognized vaccine. It is also taking place in remote parts of the country, making the lab testing of suspected cases slow and challenging."

""We have recorded roughly 131 deaths in total and we have around 513 suspected cases," Kamba said. "The deaths we are reporting are all the deaths we have identified in the community, without necessarily saying that they are all linked to Ebola." Late last week, authorities had cited 91 probable deaths out of 350 suspected cases."

"Germany's Health Ministry on Tuesday said it was preparing to treat a US doctor who has contracted the virus after a request from the US, based on the shorter flight times and past German experience treating the virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already announced the infection and the plan to send the patient to Germany."

"Many of the cases logged so far are in the northeastern Ituri and North Kivu provinces, near the border to Uganda, which has also recorded two cases among people who traveled from the DRC. This includes cities like Bunia, Butembo and one case in North Kivu's capital Goma, which was seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group last year. The area is a gold mining hub"

Read at www.dw.com