The number of confirmed cases of the dangerous disease Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 10 thousand. This comes as international concerns and warnings about the possibility of the disease spreading to neighboring countries and beyond the African continent have increased significantly.
According to the latest figures from the Congo Public Health Institute, published by Reuters, so far 10,060 cases and 4,887 deaths caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus have been recorded. Medical reports describe this new wave as the largest and most severe outbreak of the disease in the country’s history.
Meanwhile, the detection of cases outside Congo has caused greater regional fear and concern; Kenya has announced the identification of 9 case, while Nigeria has also reported 1 case linked to this wave. At the same time, relevant international bodies are investigating how the wife of a Swiss diplomat became infected. She had never traveled to Congo, but contracted the virus and has now been transferred to a hospital in Switzerland.
Health organizations warn that preventing a wider catastrophe requires rapidly tracing the sources of infections, immediate quarantine, careful care and monitoring of people who have been in contact with patients, and intensified preventive measures at border crossings.
