Ebola confirmed in Congo outbreak
Scott McPherson
in influenza and infectious diseases
|
Post a Comment
The WHO has confirmed the dreaded Ebola as the cause of the deaths of scores of villagers. Some 166 deaths may or may not be linked to Ebola, but the confirmation of at least five deaths as being caused by the hemorrhagic fever caues one to reasonably conclude that many other deaths will be attributed to the disease. Ebola has a 90% Case Fatality Rate (CFR).
The following story is from Brietbart.com as reported by wire service AFP:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed a major outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and said 166 deaths there since April could be linked to the disease.The outbreak of the highly-contagious Ebola haemorrhagic fever, in the Western Kasai province, was confirmed by specialist laboratories in the US and Gabon, the WHO said in a statement on its website.
The tests have also confirmed the presence of Shigella dysentery type 1, another but less deadly disease.
"As of 11 September 2007, WHO is aware of 372 cases and 166 deaths associated with the ongoing event in the province. Additional samples have been taken for further laboratory analysis," the WHO said in a statement.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva Tuesday, a WHO spokesman stressed that another illness other than Ebola could yet be responsible for some of the deaths, possibly the Shigella infectious disease. Of five samples sent to one laboratory, all showed signs of Ebola.
Ebola causes the patient to bleed under the skin and in severe cases, from the mouth, ears and eyes. The virus, which has no known cure, is highly infectious for those who come into contact with a victim's body fluids.
Ebola had previously killed some 450 people in the DRC since 1976, and 1,200 people across the whole of Africa in the same period.
Copyright AFP 2007, AFP
Reader Comments