Ebola outbreak: Death toll tops 200 in Democratic Republic of the Congo

[muriel_volestrangler]

The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to more than 200.

The health ministry said it had recorded 201 deaths from the virus and that 291 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak began in August.

About half of the cases were in Beni, a city of 800,000 people, in the North Kivu region.

The United Nation’s Department of Peacekeeping on Friday called on armed groups active in the region not to hinder efforts to fight the disease.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/ebola-outbreak-death-toll-tops-200-in-democratic-republic-of-the-congo

[still_one]

1. This is awful, haven't heard our press even mention this- I thought they developed a vaccine; and

Last edited Sun Nov 11, 2018, 10:46 AM - Edit history (1)

if so why isn’t it being rushed over there?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. The article says at the end the vaccine is being used

though it's difficult to administer (has to be kept at -94 degrees Fahrenheit - see https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016211650 ) and I don't know how much it's available - that early example was a more rural area, rather than the city of 800,000 in this one. Stopping enough contacts in a city may be difficult.

Link to a story from a few days ago about the vaccine: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/06/uganda-vaccinates-at-risk-health-workers-ebola-congo-drc

[still_one]

3. Thanks for. Pointing that out Muriel