Ebola cases in Congo surpass 4,000
The number of confirmed Ebola virus infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo has exceeded 4,000, with nearly half of those infected having died. The disease has now been detected in five provinces of the country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 4,000 confirmed cases of Ebola virus infection, health officials report. Of those infected, 1,850 people have died, close to half of all cases.
The disease has now spread to five provinces across the country. Researchers have concluded that the current outbreak actually began as early as January, though it was detected only later.
Why the outbreak has been hard to contain
Efforts to stop the spread of the virus have proven extremely difficult. The virus was identified too late, and the country's epidemiological surveillance systems are overwhelmed. The situation is further complicated by an ongoing armed conflict in the country, which hampers response efforts in affected areas.
Another major obstacle is that no effective vaccine or proven treatment method yet exists for this particular strain of the Ebola virus, leaving healthcare workers with limited options for treating infected patients.
