New case counts from the Democratic Republic of Congo indicate its lingering Ebola outbreak is now the worst in recorded history behind the massive outbreak that killed thousands in West Africa earlier this decade.
The World Health Organization reported late Thursday that it’s found 426 cases — one more than a massive outbreak in Uganda nearly two decades ago.
“The #Ebola outbreak in #DRC is now second largest historically. A sad toll, with too many families losing loved ones,” tweeted Peter Salama, WHO’s emergencies director.
Ebola is a serious, often-fatal disease that is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads from human to human through the bodily fluids of people who exhibit symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented nearly 30 Ebola outbreaks since its discovery in the DRC in 1976.
The worst one unfolded in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea from 2014 to 2016, killing more than 11,000.
Today, responders in the North Kivu province of the DRC have new tools to combat the disease, including a trial vaccine and a series of therapeutic drugs that have helped patients recover.
However, violent attacks from rebel groups in the area are impeding the response.
A town at the center of the outbreak, Beni, has seen repeated attacks, forcing responders to suspend vaccinations or surveillance efforts that track down infected patients and their contacts.
WHO says it doesn’t consider the outbreak a global emergency, though it’s worried the virus will hop into Uganda.
It’s vaccinated more than 1,000 frontline health workers in Uganda as a precaution. The vaccine, supplied by Merck, is not licensed yet but has proven effective under protocols governing its “compassionate use” in active outbreaks.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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