It’s official. Congo’s Ebola outbreak is the fastest-growing on record. The death toll has surpassed 1,000 fatalities in just over two months, according to the World Health Organization and Congo’s Ministry of Health, the Associated Press reported. More than 2,500 infections have been confirmed.
Of the confirmed Ebola cases, about 40% have been fatal, The World and Everything in It podcast reported. The Bundibugyo strain is reportedly driving outbreak, which has no approved vaccine or treatment. Meanwhile, experimental therapies are being tested.
According to health officials, a variety of factors are slowing response efforts — among them are misinformation, swamped treatment centers and ongoing conflict in the area. The current outbreak reportedly appears to remain largely confined to eastern Congo and neighboring Uganda — unlike the 2014–2016 epidemic centered in West Africa.
See related links:
By the Numbers: This year’s Ebola outbreak has spread faster than the worst on record -Associated Press
Ebola fastest-growing outbreak ever -The World and Everything in It
Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The links above are a sampling of headlines related to the story and are not an endorsement of all viewpoints or reporting.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was compiled from various news outlets by The Baptist Paper.
