Congo says death toll in fastest-growing Ebola outbreak has passed 1,500
3,442 cases recorded in outbreak linked to Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccines or treatments
Ebola has killed more than 1,500 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease, data released Thursday showed, marking a 50 per cent increase in around a week as the emergency continues to outpace response efforts.
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emergency → say → efforts
As of Tuesday, 3,442 cases had been recorded, with 1,521 deaths, according to the latest government update.
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cases → record → update
The sharp rise since last week partly reflects a backlog of cases and deaths that had not yet been confirmed or recorded, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
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Centers → reflect → Control
The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
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which → declare → which
Delays in contact tracing, difficulties accessing affected areas, mistrust from communities and violence by armed groups and some residents have hampered the response, the Africa CDC said.
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CDC → access → response
The outbreak is mostly concentrated in eastern Congo's remote Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90 per cent of cases, but there have been others confirmed in five provinces, including one of the country's largest cities, Kisangani.
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which → concentrate → cities
Neighbouring Uganda declared itself free of Ebola on Tuesday, following the discharge of the country's last patient in mid-June.
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itself → neighbour → June
As Ebola cases in Congo near 3,000, more health workers go on strike
Canada to temporarily bar entry by foreign nationals recently in Congo due to Ebola risk
Ebola is rare but highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen.
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Ebola → near → vomit
The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.
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it → cause → ?
Africa CDC director general Dr. Jean Kaseya said Thursday that 63 per cent of confirmed deaths in the last two weeks occurred outside of treatment centres.
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cent → say → centres
Kaseya said this is largely due to the "unsafe handling of infected bodies" by residents.
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this → say → residents
Traditional burial practices in some communities involve touching the bodies of the deceased, which can be highly contagious.
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which → involve → deceased
Aid workers withdraw following attacks
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workers → withdraw → attacks
The restrictions that health authorities have placed on such funerals, along with widespread misinformation asserting that the deadly virus isn't real, have angered some residents and led to attacks on health facilities.
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virus → place → facilities
In Ituri's Nyakunde health zone, international partners supporting the Ebola response had to temporarily relocate after a July 15 attack on a hospital and a treatment centre, sparked by a patient's death.
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partners → support → death
Officials say the relocation of these partners, including Africa CDC and Mercy Corps, has disrupted surveillance, contact tracing and supplies.
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relocation → say → surveillance
Dr. Desire Duabo, chief medical officer for the health zone, said foreign aid groups and agencies had provided much of the supplies, equipment and operational support, and warned that the small stocks left are "almost depleted.
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stocks → say → supplies
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Attacks such as the one in Nyakunde are causing anxiety among health workers and making it difficult for them to carry out their duties, said Pierre Akilimali, the Ebola response incident manager at the National Public Health Institute of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Akilimali → cause → Congo
"They are working amidst risks of infection as well as risks to their personal safety," he said.
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he → work → safety
Local health officials say security has since stabilized and are urging partners to return, with Africa CDC saying teams could redeploy as soon as next week.
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teams → say → week
The latest outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any previous outbreak, including in 2014 to 2016, when 28,000 cases were reported, of which over 11,000 people died.
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people → kill → which
That outbreak took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.
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outbreak → take → deaths
At 'crucial' moment for pandemic preparedness, experts say world isn't ready
Challenges and missteps early in Congo's Ebola outbreak likely delayed detection, sources say
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the global risk of spread remains low because Ebola does not travel through the air, making it much harder to spread than respiratory viruses.
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it → say → viruses
Cases detected outside the affected region have so far been quickly identified and contained without leading to sustained transmission, the agency said.
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agency → detect → transmission
In Congo, however, the risk of the spread remains "very high," according to the WHO.
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risk → remain → WHO
Last week, Canada began denying entry to foreign nationals who had been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the past 21 days.
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who → begin → days
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