Ebola is spreading rapidly in the DRC, while Uganda is almost virus-free News about Ebola

Uganda has released its last patients, with the WHO saying Ebola has ‘grown faster than any other epidemic’ in the DRC.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Ebola is spreading faster in the Democratic Republic of Congo than any other epidemic.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC in 2018-2020 “took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases”. But this time more 2,000 cases confirmed in just two months, including 796 deaths.

“This is now the third outbreak of Ebola,” Tedros said. “In the last month, it’s grown faster than it’s ever started.”

The DRC reported 62 new cases on Thursday, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 2,073, although the WHO has said the truth is likely to remain. at least twice that.

DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths in Ituri, an affluent northeastern region controlled by several armed groups.

Cases of Ebola, which is spread through close contact and contaminated bodily fluids, have been found in five provinces of the DRC and neighboring Uganda, although most are in Ituri.

The head of the WHO indicated that more than 80 percent of new cases were found “outside the known list, showing that transmission chains are still missing”.

He added that 377 people have recovered from Ebola in the DRC, “showing that with early detection and proper treatment, the disease can be survived and stopped”.

Adding to the problems in Ituri, health workers they went on strike and blocked the entrance of Bunia General Hospital on Wednesday. Workers say they have not received compensation for their work since the outbreak began, despite working extremely hard.

In Uganda, the situation was improving when the remaining Ebola patient was discharged on Thursday, starting a 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free, the East African country’s health ministry said.

Uganda has had 20 new cases of Ebola in Bundibugyo since mid-May. Fifteen people got sick in DRC who traveled to Uganda.

Unlike the high number of infections in the DRC, Uganda has not reported a new case since June 22.

“Today, Uganda released the last Ebola patient, a Congolese who has recovered well and (is) ready to be with his family,” the Ministry of Health in Uganda wrote on X.

“Uganda will start counting. If 42 days pass without a new person, WHO guidelines say we will be Ebola-free.”