Suspected Ebola cases top 900 in Democratic Republic of Congo: WHO chief

GENEVA – More than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified in the conflict-hit Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) chief has said.

“As surveillance efforts have been scaled up in the #DRC #Ebola response, more than 900 suspected cases have been identified so far, including 101 confirmed cases,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a May 24 social media post that gave no update on the death toll.

Ebola is a deadly viral disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.

The country declared an outbreak on May 15 caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine or treatments.

In a previous update released on May 23, the DRC Health Ministry said 204 deaths had been recorded in three provinces of the vast central African country, from 867 suspected cases.

Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa in the past half-century. AFP