WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - More than 3,000 people have died in the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in Congo's history, according to the latest government data.
Congo's Ministry of Health has reported 6,186 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,007 deaths since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency in May. Meanwhile, more than 1,400 people have recovered from the disease.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ministry of Communications also reported that another 619 patients were either in isolation or receiving treatment in hospitals
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, as the 'fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded.' New infections are happening faster than health workers can identify, track and respond to cases.
One reason for the rapid spread is that many infected people are not being identified through contact tracing, which could have helped health workers find and monitor people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Doctors Without Borders, an international medical charity, said the outbreak is becoming harder to manage because of existing healthcare needs, airport closures and flight restrictions. These problems are making it more difficult to move medical workers, testing equipment, patients and essential supplies.
'With a focus on preparedness, increased surveillance to find potential cases in health facilities and communities, and careful management of points of entry, countries can keep people and goods moving while ensuring people stay safe, or receive care if they are sick,' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on social media.
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