Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda reaches more than 1,000 cases

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has grown to more than 1,000 suspected and confirmed cases, including over 200 deaths, according to health officials.

The latest figures, released on Sunday, show 1,010 suspected and confirmed cases across the two countries, up from 968 on Saturday.

In Congo, health officials said the number of confirmed cases has risen to 101, while suspected cases have increased to 904. The figures bring Congo’s total to 1,005 suspected and confirmed cases.

Congo has reported 230 deaths, including 10 confirmed deaths and 220 suspected deaths. That is up from 214 deaths reported in the country on Saturday.

The outbreak has been reported in 11 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, three provinces in eastern Congo near the borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Uganda has confirmed five cases, including one death. On Saturday, The country confirmed its first cases of transmission inside Uganda linked to earlier cases imported from Congo.

The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics. The virus can spread through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people or those who have died from the disease.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared a public health emergency of international concern last Sunday. WHO has assessed the risk as high to very high at the national and regional levels and low globally.