Congo's Ebola outbreak surpasses 4,000 deaths amid violence and mistrust
Health workers protest lack of pay; Congolese politician beaten to death over response to outbreak
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politician → surpass → outbreak
The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak has recorded more than 4,000 deaths, authorities said, as they struggle to contain the spread of the virus.
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they → record → virus
The latest figures released by the health ministry on Thursday showed that 4,018 people have died, making up nearly half of the 8,300 confirmed cases, in what has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
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what → release → history
Congo announced an outbreak on May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine.
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which → announce → treatment
Some health workers gathered in Bunia, the capital of northeastern Ituri province, the heart of the outbreak.
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workers → gather → outbreak
They were demanding payment for wages owed, but were quickly dispersed by officials.
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They → demand → officials
The protesting workers included surveillance team members, who identify people exposed to infected patients.
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who → protest → patients
They waved placards saying, "No money, no data!" and "No payment for months."
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They → wave → months
Front-line workers have gone on strike several times since the outbreak began, further hampering efforts to contain the disease.
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outbreak → go → disease
A senior UN official said that an Ebola-hit camp housing a transit centre for infected patients was burned by soldiers earlier this week as they were looking for weapons in Kigonze, on the outskirts of Bunia, forcing 19,000 people in the camp to flee.
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they → say → camp
Julien Harneis, the UN senior Ebola co-ordinator, said creating Ebola transit and treatment centres has been a struggle, requiring money and staff, all of which are in short supply.
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all → say → supply
"When we lose a centre, that means we lose capacity, we lose investment and we have to start again.
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we → lose → investment
And above all, it means that people do not get access to the care that they really need," Harneis said.
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Harneis → mean → that
Infected aid worker evacuated to Netherlands
An aid worker with Médecins Sans Frontières, known in English as Doctors Without Borders, was infected with Ebola while working in Congo, the group said in a statement.
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group → evacuate → statement
The worker arrived late on Thursday night after being flown to the Netherlands on a special medical flight and was transferred to a high-level isolation unit, the Leiden University Medical Center said in a statement.
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"The human cost of this crisis is unprecedented in the DRC, with communities facing the largest Ebola disease outbreak ever recorded in the country," MSF said.
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MSF → arrive → country
More than 50 health workers have died after contracting the virus.
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workers → die → virus
Community resistance hampering containment efforts
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resistance → hamper → efforts
The World Health Organization has recently raised the alarm about the virus's rapid spread into new health zones, stretching limited resources.
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Organization → raise → resources
Africa CDC said in its latest news conference that the number of newly confirmed cases is falling, but that could be attributed to insecurity and challenges in getting communities to co-operate in some of the hot spots.
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communities → say → spots
While the spread of the disease has slowed down in some areas, it has accelerated in others, creating what experts see as a delicate situation.
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experts → slow → situation
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Confirmed cases have slowed in recent weeks, from around 850 cases and 470 deaths a week in mid-July to an average of 490 cases and 230 deaths in September.
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cases → authorize → September
A Congolese politician was attacked and beaten to death earlier this week for defending government measures in dealing with the outbreak, highlighting tensions that have stretched both the health community and local resources.
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that → attack → community
The attack on Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official with Congo's ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress party, took place on Sunday at his home in Butembo, an Ebola hot spot in eastern North Kivu province.
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attack → take → province
His house was set on fire afterward, and he died at a hospital from his injuries.
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he → set → injuries
Widespread mistrust of health workers and the authorities has hampered efforts to slow the Central African nation's 17th Ebola outbreak.
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mistrust → hamper → outbreak
Authorities last month launched a village-centred approach, but those efforts face resistance from residents who dismiss Ebola as a hoax.
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who → launch → hoax
There is also deep distrust in the country's government for reasons ranging from how it's managed past Ebola outbreaks to chronic corruption.
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it → be → corruption
The Aporia
