Democratic Republic of CongoCongo Ebola death toll tops 1,400 as vaccine trials startRichard Connor with AFP, dpa, Reuters11 hours ago11 hours agoDR Congo’s Ebola outbreak has continued to grow, with confirmed infections reaching 3,200 and a fatality rate of nearly one in two. Scientists are racing to test the first vaccines against the rare Bundibugyo strain.https://p.dw.com/p/5HnrdHealth workers disinfect a coffin of an Ebola victim at the Ebola Treatment Center at Bunia General Hospital in IturiIt’s thought that the real number of infections and fatalities could be much higher than reported
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has continued to spread, with the number of confirmed infections rising to 3,200.The country’s health authorities say that 1,405 people have died from the virus since the outbreak began in late April, with the current fatality rate standing at 43.9%.What do we know about the Ebola outbreak?Almost 90% of cases have been detected in the northeastern province of Ituri, near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan, according to the World Health Organization.Experts believe that the actual number of cases may be much higher, with a large number of cases going undetected or unreported. However, authorities attributed part of the sharp increase to improved detection and expanded testing.The outbreak, declared on May 15, has spread to five provinces in the country’s conflict-scarred east.Experts have warned that the epidemic could continue for several more months. Strikes by health workers over unpaid wages have also hampered the response in some hospitals.
Can vaccination prevent the spread of the virus?The epidemic has been caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.Scientists are developing several vaccines and medicines targeting the strain.The UK’s Oxford University says the first volunteer has received an experimental vaccine designed specifically to protect against Bundibugyo Ebola.Other vaccine candidates are due to undergo accelerated clinical trials, while researchers are also developing two potential treatments.Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person and can cause severe hemorrhagic fever.More than 15,000 people have died from the disease in Africa over the past 50 years
