600 Killed as Ebola Outbreak Worsens in DR Congo

Email:online@newsofbahrain.com

Kinshasa, DR Congo: The confirmed death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 600, as the virus continues to spread beyond its original epicentre and health officials race to contain new suspected cases.

The outbreak, declared in May, has infected at least 1,759 people, with transmission centred in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Health authorities are now investigating suspected infections in Kisangani, one of the country's largest cities, raising fears that the outbreak could spread further.

The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak is still expanding due to population movement, while health teams are stepping up surveillance, contact tracing and testing in newly affected areas. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, although experimental vaccines and therapies are being evaluated.

Workers Protest

The response has also been complicated by industrial action by frontline healthcare workers, who have threatened to stop work over delayed salaries and unpaid allowances. Officials fear the dispute could disrupt treatment, safe burials and disease surveillance at a critical stage of the outbreak.

Pic Credit: AFP| File Image