KINSHASA: (Health Desk) – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed 600 lives, according to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday.
The UN health agency said that 1,759 confirmed cases have been reported in the DRC since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. The death toll crossed 500 only three days earlier, highlighting the rapid spread of the disease.
In neighbouring Uganda, two people have died, while 17 patients have recovered out of 20 confirmed cases.
WHO data, based on figures provided by Congolese health authorities, showed that the outbreak has a case fatality rate of 34 percent in the DRC. So far, 285 patients have recovered, while 304 suspected cases remain under investigation.
The outbreak has affected four provinces in northeastern DRC, with Ituri province emerging as the main hotspot.
Health officials said the outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available.
A clinical trial of two potential treatments began in the DRC on July 2. The study is assessing the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, both separately and in combination.
Ebola is a viral haemorrhagic fever that spreads through close contact with infected people and bodily fluids.
The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths were reported in mineral-rich Ituri province, an area also affected by the presence of armed groups.
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