Ebola: Outbreak in DR Congo claims 90 lives
BBC.com
10 September 2018
New cases of Ebola in urban areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) show the outbreak is not yet under control.
The charity Oxfam says that the next few weeks are critical to contain the virus, which has claimed 90 lives since 1 August.
This is the ninth time an Ebola outbreak has been recorded in DR Congo. The virus was first discovered there in 1976 – when the country was known as Zaire – and is named after the Ebola river.
In 2014, more than 11,000 people were killed by Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The epicentre of the recent outbreak is the densely populate town of Mangina.
“While the transmission rate appeared to be slowing down due to communities responding quickly to prevent the spread, these new cases in urban areas mean we’re not out of the woods yet,” says Jose Barahona, Oxfam’s country director in DR Congo.
“It’s also of real concern that three cases of the virus were found in a place where armed groups are highly active.
“These are hostile groups who don’t negotiate and our ability to reach people in need is extremely challenging.”
“While the transmission rate appeared to be slowing down due to communities responding quickly to prevent the spread, these new cases in urban areas mean we’re not out of the woods yet,” says Jose Barahona, Oxfam’s country director in DR Congo.
“It’s also of real concern that three cases of the virus were found in a place where armed groups are highly active.
“These are hostile groups who don’t negotiate and our ability to reach people in need is extremely challenging.”
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