WHO Reports 330 Confirmed Ebola Cases and 49 Deaths as Suspected Tally Falls to 116
The World Health Organization on Tuesday lowered its count of suspected Ebola cases from 906 to 116 after testing ruled out other illnesses. Confirmed cases stand at 330 across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
France 24The World Health Organization on Tuesday reported 116 suspected Ebola cases in central Africa, down from 906 late last week. The agency also listed 330 confirmed cases, including 321 in the Democratic Republic of Congo with 48 deaths and nine in Uganda with one fatality.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said testing had cleared many suspected cases after patients were found to have malaria, meningitis or other conditions with similar early symptoms.
He noted that anyone presenting with Ebola-like symptoms is initially counted as a suspected case until laboratory results arrive. The outbreak was declared on May 15 in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus is the Bundibugyo strain, which produces flu-like symptoms that can delay detection.
Lindmeier told reporters that the number of confirmed cases is expected to keep rising while suspected cases fluctuate as tests are completed. He added that the previous category of 223 suspected Ebola deaths has been removed because many of those individuals died weeks earlier and their remains could not be tested. Six people confirmed to have Ebola have been registered as recovered.
No vaccine or approved treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain, so containment relies on preventive measures. The Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 100 million people and ranks among the world’s poorest nations. The outbreak is occurring in a conflict-affected area where the virus is believed to have circulated for weeks before the May 15 declaration.
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