Ebola in Congo spreads: about 3,500 people dead

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to expand: 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths. 923 patients are hospitalized in isolation, and the virus has spread to 62 health zones in seven provinces. Authorities are monitoring thousands of contacts, and the risk of importing the virus into Europe is assessed as very low.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to expand and exact a heavy toll. According to the latest update from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths related to the outbreak have been reported in the country. 923 patients are currently hospitalized in isolation, and 62 health zones in seven provinces are defined as affected. Since the previous report, 258 confirmed patients and 126 deaths have been added. Congolese authorities continue to trace people who have been in contact with patients. According to the data, 88% of identified contacts are under surveillance in the affected provinces, a key tool in the effort to break transmission chains. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of the Ebola virus. Infection occurs through direct contact with blood or body fluids of a sick person, as well as through objects contaminated with these fluids. The ECDC assesses that the risk of importing the virus into European Union countries remains very low. However, cases imported from outside Africa have already been documented during the outbreak. The article notes that data from Congo are under continuous review and consolidation, so they may be updated.