Alarm in Africa: The number of deaths from Ebola has increased dramatically

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 220 people have died from suspected Ebola cases, while the number of suspected infections has exceeded 900.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the delay in detecting the first cases significantly hampered the response to the epidemic.

“Due to the late detection of cases, health workers are now trying to catch up,” Tedros said.

According to estimates by international health institutions, the virus was likely spreading for days and even weeks before the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo officially declared an epidemic on May 15.

New cases in Uganda

The Ugandan Ministry of Health reported two new cases of infection, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to seven. All cases are linked to the outbreak in the Congo.

Among the first infected was a 59-year-old Congolese citizen who was admitted to a hospital in Kampala on May 11. He died three days later, before it was confirmed that he had Ebola. After that, two more Congolese nationals who sought medical help in Uganda tested positive for the virus.

The Ugandan authorities then confirmed the first local transmission of the infection. Among the sick are a driver and a health worker who were in contact with the deceased patient from the Congo. Infections were subsequently confirmed in two more health workers at a private hospital in Kampala.

More than 900 suspected cases in Congo

The largest number of cases was registered in the eastern province of Ituri, which remains the epicenter of the epidemic. The authorities announced that the number of suspected cases exceeded 900, while the number of laboratory-confirmed infections exceeded 100.

According to WHO data, by the end of May, 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths among them were registered, while 134 cases of the disease were confirmed in Congo and Uganda together, including 18 confirmed deaths.

Experts warn that the actual number of infected people may be higher, as many samples are still being analyzed, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

(Vijesti.ba)

​KAMPALA – The number of victims of the current Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to rise, while health authorities in neighboring Uganda report new cases of infection linked to the cross-border spread of the virus.