The havoc of Ebola virus is increasing in Africa. More than a thousand people have died so far due to the Ebola outbreak in a small country, Congo. According to Africa’s leading health organization, Ebola continues to wreak havoc in Congo. This is the most rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in history, with conflict, community opposition and an uneven response accelerating the spread of the virus.
Speaking at a health conference in Ghana on Wednesday, Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said 1,031 deaths had been confirmed in Congo. He said, “People are dying rapidly. They are dying because we do not have vaccines, we do not have medicines and we do not even have funds.”
This variant was announced on May 15
According to the latest update from Congo’s Health Ministry, 2,473 new cases of this virus were registered till Monday. The ministry said that at least 737 patients were in isolation or hospitalized. This variant, announced on May 15, is slightly different from many previous Ebola viruses because no approved vaccine or medicine has been found for the Bundibugyo variant responsible for it.
It has killed more people at a faster rate than any other virus on record, including the 2013–2016 outbreak, considered the worst to date. At least 28,000 cases were reported in this case and out of them, more than 11 thousand people died. Then it took about 8 months from the first case related to that virus to reach 1 thousand deaths.
The actual number of victims is higher than this
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the true figure of the virus’s havoc may be much larger and may be 2 to 4 times larger than the official figures. Because there are some communities in these areas which are not possible to reach and the reason for this is the ongoing fighting between rebel groups.
Ebola is a rare but highly contagious disease and the virus can spread through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. This can cause serious illness and sometimes proves fatal.
Officials have warned that 80% of new cases related to the virus are from outside known areas of infection, which suggests that the virus is spreading faster than health officials can track. While health officials are stepping up their response in Ituri province, the epicenter of the virus, and four other provinces where cases have been recorded.
Burial of dead body also became a big challenge
Burial of the bodies of those who died due to Ebola virus also remains a big challenge. The teams carrying out safe burial of dead bodies are being opposed by many communities, due to which the problem has increased. Some communities in Ituri province have refused to let burial teams work because they bury bodies in the traditional way, but this increases the risk of further spread of the disease.
Those who bury dead bodies are being attacked. Because of this, front-line workers and aid groups have retreated from some areas due to attacks on many health centers and rescue teams. Some health workers have gone on strike, saying they have not received salaries since the outbreak of the disease.
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