New Ebola cases suspected in West Africa’s Guinea

New Ebola cases suspected in West Africa’s Guinea

New cases of the Ebola virus are now suspected in the West African nation of Guinea, according to the World Health Organization. “WHO has been informed of two suspected cases of Ebola in Guinea-Conakry,” said WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus late Saturday. “Confirmatory testing underway. WHOAFRO and WHO country office…

Ebola drugs narrowed to 2 in DR Congo trial

Ebola drugs narrowed to 2 in DR Congo trial

The World Health Organization says that two of the four Ebola treatment drugs tested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are performing better than the others, and will be the only drugs used on future patients as the country moves forward in its yearlong outbreak. The decision to…

Faith leaders work to reduce Ebola-related violence in DR Congo

Faith leaders work to reduce Ebola-related violence in DR Congo

Religious leaders in the Congolese city of Butembo launched a two-day symposium on Thursday that brings together the groups resistant to the Ebola intervention and its workers, in hopes of reducing violent attacks and improving response outcomes. The meeting follows a visit to Butembo earlier this week by David Gressly,…

Ebola response on hold with at least 9 dead in Butembo fighting

The Ebola response in the city of Butembo, in the eastern North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo, was interrupted by violence again on Wednesday. Congolese media outlets report at least nine people dead following clashes between armed rebel groups and security forces, with some accounts putting the death…

Ebola deaths reach 900 amid DR Congo security crisis

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a new milestone, with the number of fatalities reaching 900, according to the Congolese Ministry of Health on Friday. More than a third of those deaths are in Katwa, where controlling the outbreak has proven difficult and the fatalities rose to…

DR Congo: Good news, bad news on Ebola outbreak

As of Saturday, the number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo had risen to 1,240 cases – a troubling jump of more than 100 in one week – with 1,174 of them confirmed and 66 probable. The Congolese Ministry of Health reported 792 deaths, on the rise especially in…

DRC sees uptick in Ebola cases tied to security challenges

There’s been a rise in Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo following weeks of overall decline, and that’s attributed to the volatile climate in the conflict zones of North Kivu and Ituri provinces. “This rise is not unexpected and likely due, in part, to the recently increased security challenges,…

MSF: Ebola victims are patients, not a biothreat

The Doctors Without Borders medical NGO says the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo is failing, because of increasing community mistrust but also because of a militarized stance toward communities and their patients. “Right now we are painting the Ebola epidemic as a security emergency,” said Dr. Joanne…

Ebola case count passes 900 mark in DR Congo outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a new milestone, with the number of cases reported Wednesday by the country’s Ministry of Health now more than 900. The new total of 907 Ebola cases includes 841 confirmed cases and 66 probable. Another 223 suspected cases are under investigation in…

Second attack in a week destroys Ebola treatment center

For the second time in a week, an Ebola treatment facility in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was attacked  – this time by armed men who overran a center in Butembo jointly operated by the Ministry of Health and Doctors Without Borders (MSF). There were 40 patients in the facility…

DRC health ministry condemns attack on Katwa Ebola center

The health minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo has praised the response of Ebola workers in Katwa who were attacked on Sunday, while condemning the arson that destroyed the Ebola health center there. “Our health officers showed composure and exceptional courage last night,” said Dr. Oly Ilunga, calling the…