Ebola: More Than 1,000 Infections Reported in Congo

Ebola has now infected more than 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the outbreak spreading to a third displacement camp and claiming the life of an 18‑month‑old girl.

The Congolese government confirmed that the death toll has reached 254.

The rapid spread across three eastern provinces has prompted African health experts to warn that the outbreak could eventually exceed the 2014‑2016 epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa.

A Congolese health report stated that the 18‑month‑old baby was tested for Ebola on 14 June in the Hungbe displacement camp and died before the positive result returned the following day.

The report said the baby had developed a fever more than a week earlier and was carried on foot to two different health centres, where she was given antibiotics before finally being tested.

At least 107 people came into contact with her, including family members, healthcare workers and people from other camps, the report added.

Dr Emmanuel Musingusi Bulemu, a Congolese health official in the surrounding Nizi zone, said there was a shortage of facilities to isolate patients.

“We need to separate these patients from the community because they risk infecting others, but where can we put them?” he added.

There have also been two confirmed cases in Kpangba, another displacement camp in the same area that houses people who have fled decades of conflict between armed groups, militias and the army.

At least 30 people have died in a camp in another displacement site in Bunia.

According to preliminary data from the UN children’s agency UNICEF, nearly a fifth of confirmed cases have been children. A much smaller number of cases have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda. (Reuters/NAN)