Five new confirmed Ebola cases in eastern Congo – Ministry of Health

KINSHASA (Reuters) – The Congolese Ministry of Health announced Saturday the confirmation of five new cases of Ebola infection in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, blaming for the daily increase over normal community resistance to disease control efforts.

The current epidemic in the Congolese provinces of North Kivu and Ituri has registered 140 confirmed cases since July, of which 108 have died, according to the ministry's daily bulletin, which reports an average of one to two new confirmed cases per day in the country. during the last weeks.

The ministry said the five new cases were in the Beni regional center, where attacks by rebel groups in the region and local mistrust of the Ebola campaign have disrupted the programs. treatment and vaccination.

"The city of Beni has become the new focus of the disease, recording the highest percentage of cases reported in recent weeks as a result of some families' resistance to the community," the statement said.

The fight against Ebola has progressed in recent years since its discovery near the Congo River in 1976, but rumors, misinformation and a preference for traditional medical practices have hindered the deployment of effective treatments during the current outbreak.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the epidemic was at a critical juncture due to security threats, mistrust of the community and increased geographic spread of the disease.

"We are very worried about the possibility that the virus is spreading in Uganda, but also in Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO.