Ebola Cases Rise In Congo Where War Zone Makes Fighting Deadly Virus An ‘Unprecedented’ Challenge
In a stable region of the country, health officials took months to end the outbreak and now focus on strategies to contain new flare-ups. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is waiting to find out if the new Ebola outbreak is one for which a vaccination can be used.
The Hill:
Health Authorities Face Fight Against Ebola ‘In A War Zone’
Civil strife in Congo has surged in recent years, driving millions of people from their homes. The United Nations reports 2.8 million Congolese are internally displaced, and a million of those people live in refugee camps or villages in North Kivu Province, where at least 20 people have died of the Ebola virus in recent days. Fighting an outbreak of the Ebola virus is dangerous and complicated in the best of circumstances. Congo only recently concluded its battle to contain the last outbreak, in Equateur Province in the northwest corner of the country, a much more stable region where ending the outbreak nonetheless took months, hundreds of international volunteers and tens of millions of dollars. (Wilson, 8/4)
The Associated Press:
Confirmed Ebola Cases Rise To 13 In Congo's Latest Outbreak
The number of confirmed cases in Congo's new outbreak of the Ebola virus has risen to 13, including three deaths, the health ministry said late Saturday. The World Health Organization has warned that this new outbreak of the deadly virus in North Kivu province poses a particular challenge as the region is a "war zone" with several active armed groups and thousands of displaced people. (8/4)
Reuters:
Eastern Congo Ebola Outbreak Believed To Have Killed 33-Health Ministry
An outbreak of the Ebola virus declared this week in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is believed to have killed 33 people, the health ministry said on Saturday. Thirteen cases of the haemorrhagic fever have been confirmed, including three deaths, the ministry said in a statement, adding that suspected cases had been detected in both North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province. (Ross, 8/4)
