Ebola outbreak for DR Congo don pass 5,000 deaths as Nigeria dey test two suspected cases
- DR Congo don record 5,026 Ebola deaths and 10,351 confirmed cases since May, na im worst outbreak on record.
- Ituri province for di conflict-hit north-east remain di epicentre, and eight of 26 provinces dey affected.
- Nigeria disease control centre say two suspected cases dey isolated and dem dey test dem.
More than 5,000 people don die for Democratic Republic of Congo Ebola outbreak, according to figures wey di country Presidential Taskforce on Ebola release on Friday.
Di taskforce put di toll at 5,026 deaths from 10,351 confirmed cases since di outbreak start for May. E report 77 new confirmed cases and 34 more deaths for im latest update. Di case fatality rate stand at 48.6 per cent.
Di outbreak don already become di deadliest for DR Congo history, pass di 2,299 deaths wey dem record between 2018 and 2020. United Nations say na di country 17th outbreak and di second largest ever recorded, behind di West African epidemic of 2014 to 2016 wey kill more than 11,325 people.
Why e dey hard to stop
Ituri province for di north-east, a conflict zone, remain di centre of di epidemic. E account for 71 per cent of all confirmed cases and 36.4 per cent of newly reported infections, according to di taskforce. Di virus don reach 67 of di country 178 health zones, spread across eight of im 26 provinces.
Response teams also face hostility. A nurse die and another health worker seriously injure dis week while responding to Ebola alert, after local youths accuse dem say dem contaminate water sources, according to UN-backed Radio Okapi. Last month a politician die after dem beat am for promoting measures to curb di spread, and Red Cross say dem hurt im volunteers and set ambulance on fire for 11 violent incidents during di first 100 days.
Health authorities say 1,101 patients dey for treatment and isolation centres, while 2,788 people don recover.
Di Bundibugyo strain wey cause dis outbreak no get licensed vaccine or specific treatment. Dem deploy Ervebo vaccine, wey dem use against Zaire strain for earlier outbreaks, to protect frontline health workers. World Health Organization Africa office call for stronger control measures, better access to affected areas and more community outreach, and WHO don repeatedly appeal for extra funding.
Wetin dis mean for Nigeria
Nigeria disease control centre talk on Saturday say dem identify two suspected cases, isolate dem and dem dey test dem. Earlier for October, dem confirm one woman get di disease for di country and fly am go Switzerland for further treatment.
Kenya don record nine confirmed cases and two deaths. Uganda report two deaths and 20 cases early on, but no new cases since August, though travel restrictions remain for people wey dey cross from DR Congo.
Ebola dey spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of person wey get am, like blood or vomit. Symptoms dey appear suddenly and fit progress to vomiting, diarrhoea and organ failure. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control say di risk to people for Europe dey very low.
