At least 930 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak, the country’s health ministry has said.
The deaths were recorded from 2,344 confirmed cases as of Saturday night, reports Breaking News.
Thirty-seven new deaths were recorded in the previous 24 hours, one of the highest single-day totals since the outbreak began.
The Ebola outbreak declared in eastern DR Congo on 15 May is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, reports Breaking News.
The Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak is less common than other strains that cause Ebola disease, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
Ebola is highly contagious and can be transmitted to people from wild animals, spreading in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing, reports Breaking News.
The disease is rare but severe and often fatal.
The surge in deaths comes as safety fears have restricted the response in the worst-affected province of Ituri, reports Breaking News.
A total of five provinces have been affected, all in the eastern region where rebel violence is widespread.
At least 12 attacks — mostly fuelled by scepticism and rumours — have been recorded against health facilities and teams since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, authorities said on Saturday, with many health workers also walking off their jobs in protest at a lack of payment, reports Breaking News.
At least 36 health workers infected with the virus have died.
The World Health Organisation last week expressed concern that 80% of new Ebola cases were emerging from unknown chains of transmission, a sign the outbreak is spreading faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response, reports Breaking News.
DR Congo’s health ministry said in its latest update that 724 patients are currently in isolation and in hospitals and that it is intensifying response efforts in the affected health zones.
“Patient care and support capacities are consolidating, with 22 new recoveries recorded in 24 hours,” the ministry said, reports Breaking News.
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