Democratic Congo Ebola confirmed cases exceed 11,000... 1,000 people increase in 15 days

Kenya, last patient discharged... If there are no additional confirmed cases for 6 weeks, the end is declared.

(Johannesburg = Yonhap News) Correspondent Na Confirmed = The number of Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) has exceeded 11,000.

According to the Democratic Congo's National Institute for Public Health (INSP) on the 11th (local time), the total number of confirmed Ebola cases as of the 9th was 11,042.

Since the number of confirmed cases exceeded 10,000 as of the 25th of last month, the number of new confirmed cases has increased by about 1,000 in just 15 days.

Of the confirmed cases, a total of 5,387 people have died so far, with a fatality rate of 48.8%.

So far, 2,990 people have recovered and 973 people are being treated at Ebola treatment facilities.

Over the past week, the average number of new confirmed cases and deaths per day has slowed slightly to 62 and 32, respectively, from 66 and 34 over the previous week.

There is still no approved vaccine or treatment for the currently prevalent Bundibuzo-type Ebola, but health authorities began vaccinating residents in the outbreak area of ​​Democratic Congo on August 26 after finding that the Erbevo vaccine, previously developed for the Zaire-type Ebola, had certain effects, including preventing severe worsening, according to animal testing results. INSP reported that so far, 21,866 people, including medical staff and residents, have been vaccinated with the Ervevo vaccine.

In the northeastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, which are major outbreak areas, it is still difficult to contain the spread due to intensifying fighting with rebels and violence by residents sparked by distrust of medical staff and misinformation.

Non-payment of wages and resulting strikes by employees working at various clinics and checkpoints have not been properly resolved.

Uganda, which previously declared an Ebola outbreak along with Democratic Congo on May 15, was confirmed to be free of Ebola from the World Health Organization (WHO) in late August after 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths occurred.

In Kenya, where a total of nine confirmed cases of Ebola were reported last month, two of whom died, the last patient was discharged on this day. Kenya can declare Ebola-free if there are no additional confirmed cases over the next six weeks.

In Nigeria, one confirmed case, a Swiss citizen who had visited Uganda last month, was reported and no additional confirmed cases have been reported since the patient was transferred to his home country.