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Officials reported 1,003 confirmed cases and 254 deaths from an Ebola outbreak centered in Ituri province. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, began May 15 and has spread to neighboring provinces and Uganda.
Confirmed cases of the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo reached 1,003, including 254 deaths, officials said in a statement late Sunday. A total of 100 people have recovered since the outbreak was declared on May 15 in Ituri province, Congo’s Ministry of Health said.
Outbreak details and spread The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccines or treatments. Officials described it as the worst in its first month. Cases have also appeared in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and crossed into Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases and two deaths have been recorded.
Contact tracing and unknowns Contact tracing coverage stands at 55 percent, the ministry said. Officials have not yet identified the outbreak’s patient zero and still need to trace more than 35,000 contacts. Authorities acknowledge that additional undetected cases are likely and that the peak of the outbreak has not yet occurred.
Impact on maternal health services Prenatal consultations at one clinic in the provincial capital of Bunia have fallen from around 60 expectant mothers a month to 10. The United Nations Population Fund has documented extra maternal deaths in Ituri province linked to fear of Ebola exposure at health facilities.
“In three cases, we are certain. Either the woman was scared to go to the health facility because of Ebola, or she had symptoms consistent with Ebola.”
Temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius across much of western and central Europe on June 21, prompting red alerts, rail cancellations, and wildfire evacuations. The heat surge is expected to continue at least until midweek.
The BbcFrance issued red heatwave alerts for roughly half the country, including Paris, as temperatures approached record levels. Parisians sought relief by swimming in the Canal St Martin.
Abc NewsConfirmed Ebola cases in eastern Congo reached 1,003 as of late Sunday, including 254 deaths, the Ministry of Health said. The outbreak, declared May 15 in Ituri province, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.