00:00Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are warning that the country's latest Ebola outbreak continues to spread,
00:07with confirmed cases now rising to 676, including 136 deaths.
00:14Officials reported 40 new infections and 9 deaths in a single day across the eastern provinces of Ituri and North
00:22Kibu.
00:22The outbreak caused by the Bundibugio strain of the virus has now reached 29 health zones in three provinces.
00:31Authorities say cases are increasing week after week, pointing to ongoing community transmission.
00:37More than 5,700 contacts are currently being monitored, but officials acknowledge that contact tracing remains well below target levels.
00:46Health experts want that without faster containment efforts, the outbreak could spread into new areas,
00:53raising concerns in a region already affected by large-scale displacement and cross-border movement.
01:05In this sense, the Democratic Republic of Congo ramped up its Ebola response with the inauguration of a new treatment
01:11center in Bunia.
01:12The World Health Organization stated that there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for this strain
01:19and that they recently launched a $518 million continental response planned with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
01:29to support containment measures.
01:31The advisor to the military governor of Ituri, Dr. Gianna Lasha,
01:35stated that these new centers represent a strengthening of the response system and helps them to take a better care
01:41of patients.
01:43Let's recall that the outbreak caused by the Bundibugio strain of Ebola was officially declared by the Democratic Republic of
01:49Congo on May 15,
01:51after cases where it identified in Bunia, Rampoara and Mongualu health zones.
Comments