The number of suspected Ebola cases in Congo has dropped to 116.

Congo previously recorded 906 suspected cases of Ebola Bundibugyo, including 223 deaths suspected to be related to this rare variant. In a statement at the end of May, the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, said that authorities were investigating 1,100 suspected cases.

However, the latest figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 1st show that the number of suspected cases in Congo has decreased to 116 after hundreds of cases were ruled out. The world's largest health agency also confirmed 48 deaths from Ebola and 6 recoveries in Congo. In Uganda, 15 cases of infection have been confirmed and one related death.

Medical staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at the Evangelical Health Center (CEM), one of the leading facilities in Congo's response to the Ebola outbreak. Photo: Reuters

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that test results from many suspected Ebola cases suggest they may have a different illness. The figures will fluctuate as more people are tested.

According to the official, suspected cases are those detected through contact tracing or who exhibit related symptoms. Cases that test positive for the Bundibugyo strain are officially recorded as confirmed infections.

Determining the number of infections in this outbreak was initially difficult because standard Ebola tests did not detect the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also listed 116 suspected cases. The announcement stated that the Congolese Ministry of Health had updated the total number of new suspected cases, while the deaths suspected to be due to Ebola are still under investigation.

On the same day, Congo reopened Bunia airport in Ituri province, where the first Ebola cases were reported. This move reversed an earlier decision and helped reassure residents about the risk of being cut off from essential supplies.

In a related statement, the Congolese Ministry of Transport confirmed that the conditions have been met “to allow the resumption of air transport operations” at Bunia airport. Under current regulations, all passengers will be required to have their temperature checked before boarding and upon arrival. Any passenger exhibiting a fever will be refused service.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the outbreak of the Ebola Bundibugyo strain, the 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo, on May 15, and the World Health Organization (WHO) quickly declared it an international public health emergency.

(According to Reuters)

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/so-ca-nghi-nhiem-ebola-tai-congo-giam-con-116-1101862.html