Symbolic imageCongo puts Ebola toll at 1,887 as outbreak becomes its largest
The Democratic Republic of Congo raised its Ebola death toll to 1,887 on Sunday, with 4,120 confirmed cases.
The figures come from the communication ministry's latest bulletin, with data up to Thursday, 6 August, and put the fatality rate at 45.8 percent. It lists 721 patients in isolation or hospital, 810 recoveries and a contact tracing rate of 83.7 percent. Declared on 15 May in Ituri, the outbreak is concentrated in 53 health zones across five provinces, with Ituri accounting for 86.5 percent of cumulative cases. The WHO says the Bundibugyo strain behind it has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment.
No cases on the quarantined boat
The Hindu reports that Congolese authorities found no Ebola cases aboard a river boat held in quarantine, easing concern about the virus spreading along the Congo river.
Past the 2018 outbreak
On Friday the epidemic overtook the 2018 to 2020 outbreak in the Congolese east, which recorded 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths, and now ranks second worldwide by infections. The WHO calls it the fastest growing of the country's seventeen Ebola epidemics.
Uganda declared clear
Uganda, which borders Ituri, declared itself free of Ebola on Tuesday, 28 July after 20 confirmed cases, 15 of them imported from the DRC, and two deaths.
Other opinions
Among the day's sources only Venezuela's state-affiliated Telesur carries the ministry bulletin in full, while India's The Hindu covers just the river boat.