Congo Ebola Cases Reach 1,274 With 360 Deaths

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo reported 1,274 confirmed cases of Bundibugyo Ebola, including 360 deaths, as of late Sunday. The number of recoveries almost doubled in a week, rising to 148 on Thursday from 80 on June 18. Treatment centers continue to admit dozens of patients daily.

Doctors are beginning to piece together how the rare virus behaves, offering the clearest picture yet of one of the disease’s least-studied strains. The current strain could be more slow-moving in the body, experts say, meaning early symptoms may be mistaken for more common illnesses.

Previous Bundibugyo outbreaks had lower reported fatality rates than epidemics caused by the more common Zaire and Sudan species. Doctors say it is too early to know whether the current epidemic will follow the same pattern because hundreds of patients remain hospitalized.

Before this year, Bundibugyo had caused just two recognized outbreaks since it was identified in Uganda in 2007, with only 193 confirmed cases combined. The uncertainty reflects how little scientists still know about the virus. Children account for over 25 per cent of deaths, according to the UN.

A priest conducts a blessing ceremony on June 19 for a fourth DRC child who died from Ebola at an orphanage in Bunia, Ituri Province.