[ad_1]
(CNN) – Ebola virus disease has sickened 188 people and killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northeastern region, the World Health Organization reported Monday.
Of the total cases, 153 have been confirmed, and 35 are probable. Fifty-one people have survived the disease, according to WHO, the United Nations public health division.
On average, Ebola – which causes fever, severe headache and in some cases hemorrhaging – kills about half of those infected, 25% to 90%.
'An outstanding job'
"Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, said:" The response to the outbreak is being led by the DRC, which is doing an outstanding job in an extremely difficult situation. . He added that WHO has more than 200 staff on the ground, operating out of four hubs and partnering with other organizations.
"We are now at a critical point in the outbreak," he said.
Fifty-two patients have received experimental Ebola treatments during this outbreak, Dr. Peter Salama, WHO's deputy director-general of emergency preparedness and response, tweeted on Saturday.
Four treatments can be used under the guidance of a patient, based on a framework of the treatment of the patient, based on the WHO method.
"This is the first time in history that is being used to scale during an outbreak, providing hope for people with the disease," Salama tweeted.
Only two of the treatments are: ZMapp, an experimental treatment developed by San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., and an antiviral drug developed by Gilead Sciences Inc. in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases.
A third drug, REGN3470-3471-3479, is in the early stages of development, and there is "uncertainty" about whether fourth drug, favipiravir, provides benefit to patients, according to WHO.
Complicating factors
North Kivu province is the epicenter of the outbreak, but it is reported in Ituri province, according to WHO. The two provinces, which are among the most populated in the nation, border Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Ebola most commonly affects people and nonhuman primates, such as monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees. This is the second outbreak in Congo this year, according to WHO. A previous outbreak began in May and ended in July; It has been reported that 54 cases have been recorded, including 33 deaths.
Beginning with the 1976 discovery of Ebola in an area that is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country has experienced 10 outbreaks, including this year's outbreaks.
Congo is also experiencing a long-term humanitarian crisis that includes intermittent armed conflict, according to WHO. Other health epidemics, including cholera, measles and polio, are flourishing there. WHO has estimated that more than 1 million refugees and people in North Kivu and Ituri, and their movement through and out of the provinces is a potential risk factor for the spread of Ebola.
Tedros noted an increase in the frequency and intensity of attacks by armed groups as a hindrance in stopping the outbreak.
On Thursday, three Red Cross volunteers were injured in the city of Butembo, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross. Two suffered serious injuries.
Last week, a delegation from Congo participated in a meeting that brought together representatives from Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, Congo 's Ministry of Health reported on Sunday.
The meeting, which took place in Entebbe, Uganda, focused on the measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the Ebola epidemic. The nations worked to develop an action plan to further develop their preparedness and disease response mechanisms, the ministry said.
Since the beginning of a vaccination program August 8, 14,869 people have been vaccinated in Congo, according to the Ministry of Health. The experimental rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine, made by the pharmaceutical company Merck, is highly tested against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to WHO.
Two of the most important cases in the country, especially around a village called Ndindi, which is where many of the most recent cases have occurred, "Tedros said.
"Small but significant numbers of people refuse active followup or decline to be treated in the Ebola treatment units," he said. "We are working with religious leaders, youth and women's groups and with the families themselves to overcome this obstacle."
Copyright 2018 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source link
