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Congo's Ebola deaths top 1,000 as violence and shortages hamper medics
KSL.com • • general
Key Points:
- Ebola has killed over 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 2,536 confirmed cases reported amid ongoing militant violence and attacks on clinics.
- The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain with a fatality rate up to 40%, was declared in mid-May but likely began weeks earlier; no approved vaccine currently exists for this strain.
- Health officials face challenges including insecurity in eastern Congo, shortages of supplies, attacks on health facilities, and resistance from locals due to burial restrictions and conspiracy theories.
- Experimental vaccines and treatments are under review, but so far only limited animal data supports the use of existing Ebola drugs against the Bundibugyo strain.
- The outbreak has spread to Uganda, which has reported 20 cases but no new infections since June 22; Uganda is currently in a 42-day period before it can be declared Ebola-free.
