An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is probably linked to 136 deaths, the Central African nation’s Health Minister has said.
Samuel Roger Kamba told a press briefing in the capital Kinshasa on Tuesday (19 May) that there were 543 suspected cases of the illness and 32 confirmed positive cases in the DRC.
"We have about 32 positive cases from the samples we received. 32 cases are positive. [...] We are today at 136 probable deaths linked to the disease,” he said.
"We have 69 patients who are in our treatment centres. [...] We are at around 543 probable patients in the community. And so, this is the situation of the disease today. And we are indeed continuing the active search for all cases,” Kamba added.
The outbreak has alarmed experts because it was able to spread for weeks undetected across a densely populated area ravaged by widespread armed violence.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern on Saturday (16 May), the first time a WHO chief has done so before convening an emergency committee.
A previous outbreak between 2018 and 2020 in eastern DRC was the second deadliest on record, killing nearly 2,300 people.
Around half of people who contract Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids from an infected person or animal, die from the disease, according to the WHO.
Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said three vaccines were currently in development for the virus.
“There is the first vaccine, as we said, the Ervebo Merck vaccine. That is the one we are pushing the most, with some specificities we are studying,” he said.
“The second is the ChAdOx vaccine from the UK. And the third is the vaccine called VSV-BDBV. That comes from Texas.”
Meanwhile, a U.S. citizen who contracted the virus in the DRC, has been transferred to Germany for treatment, the U.S. CDC said on Tuesday.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday said it would fund up to 50 treatment clinics in Ebola-affected regions of the DRC and Uganda.
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Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling multiple wildfires across France, amid strong winds and dry conditions, as the country’s heatwave persists.
European carmakers have urged the European Union to make sure new “Made in EU” rules do not put existing investments in Türkiye and Morocco at risk.
A record-breaking heatwave spread across the eastern U.S. on Wednesday (1 July), placing tens of millions of people under heat alerts just days before the country's 250th Independence Day celebrations.
A Russian couple climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner urging world peace before, in an apparent elaborate marriage proposal that ended with their arrests.
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
Mexico ended their 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout win, while Erling Haaland sent Norway through and Kylian Mbappé fired France into the last 16.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling multiple wildfires across France, amid strong winds and dry conditions, as the country’s heatwave persists.
A record-breaking heatwave spread across the eastern U.S. on Wednesday (1 July), placing tens of millions of people under heat alerts just days before the country's 250th Independence Day celebrations.
A powerful heatwave sweeping across Europe has triggered deadly conditions, with authorities issuing urgent warnings as extreme temperatures continue to climb.
A breakaway Catholic group dedicated to preserving the traditional Latin Mass has ordained four new bishops in Switzerland, despite a direct appeal from Pope Leo XIV to halt the ceremony.
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