More than 200 deaths from Ebola in Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), since 201 people have died from the Ebola virus. AFP reports on the basis of the Congolese Minister of Health. During this epidemic, between 291 and 326 people became ill.

Read also: Violence and political unrest hamper the fight against the Ebola virus in Congo

This is the tenth Ebola outbreak that has plagued the country since 1976 and the second this year. Pest control is hampered by violence and political unrest in different regions. The chief of UN security personnel on Friday called following the visit of the Director General of the World Health Organization not to obstruct the assistance offered. It focused on armed groups active in the east of the country.

Intervention teams "face threats, physical attacks, repeated destruction of equipment and kidnappings," he said. "Two of our emergency department colleagues were even killed in an attack." Since this year, there is a vaccine against Ebola. More than 11,000 Congolese living in high-risk areas have now been vaccinated.

Northern Congo

Northeast Congo is a conflict zone where several armed groups are in conflict. In Beni, one of the most important cities in the province of North Kivu and one of the outbreaks of the epidemic, relief activities were stopped for several days in September, following an attack.

Mistrust is also a difficult factor in the fight. Some Congolese think that the treatment centers are intended for organ trafficking, said earlier a Red Cross employee against NRC . The thick suits that rescuers wear to prevent infections further fuel suspicion. As a result, some people refuse to go to the treatment centers and sometimes even run away, which causes the spread of the virus.

Without a vaccine or treatment, an infected person has a 90% chance of dying from the Ebola virus. . Contamination occurs through contact with the body fluids of a person with the disease. Those who become ill will experience sudden fever, muscle aches and weakness (dry phase), followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, liver and kidney failure and sometimes bleeding (wet phase).