DR Congo Ebola outbreak on track to become deadliest on record, WHO warns

aljazeera.com

The World Health Organization warns the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading faster than containment efforts and is on track to become the deadliest on record. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday it could eclipse the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis, which killed over 11,000 people. The eastern DR Congo outbreak has killed more than 2,000 people out of over 4,300 recorded cases, making it the fastest-moving on record. Declared on May 15, the virus actually began circulating in February, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain with no approved vaccine or treatment. Containment is hampered by remoteness, conflict near borders with South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda, weak infrastructure, misinformation, and health worker strikes. WHO projects the outbreak could peak within six months or stretch up to a year under a severe scenario.


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