An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed the lives of more than 438 people out of 1,406 confirmed infections, with a fatality rate of just over 31 percent.
The outbreak was declared on May 15 and is centered in the northeastern Ituri province, bordering South Sudan and Uganda, which has reported 20 cases including two deaths.
The highly contagious disease has also spread to nearby provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, and a case was recently reported in Kisangani, a northeastern city of 1.5 million residents.
Health authorities say only three provinces are affected by the virus, as cases in Tshopo and Haut-Uele were ‘imported’ from Ituri.
Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.
No specific treatment exists for the current outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, but a trial of potential treatments has begun.
