WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading, with the death toll crossing 500, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
While the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the outbreak's 'true scale has not yet been fully established,' said Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO's representative to the DRC.
'We would like to say it is stabilizing, but frankly, we cannot say it yet.'
Speaking from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province at the heart of the outbreak, Dr. Ancia told reporters in Geneva that as of July 4, the country's Government has recorded 1,561 confirmed cases, including 506 deaths and 254 people recovered. More than 10,000 contacts are being monitored.
In support of the government-led response, WHO is strengthening its understanding of the history of every case of infection 'so that we can really understand the chain of transmission' and isolate every contact case, Dr. Ancia said.
Pointing to the challenges, the WHO representative said treatment centers are 'at saturation point.'
A positive step is the start of a clinical trial to identify effective treatment options as there is no approved, proven cure for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. The trial will evaluate two promising therapies, a monoclonal antibody, MBP134, and the antiviral remdesivir.
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