Ebola Spreads in Congo Refugee Camps, Cases Top 1,000
The Ministry of Health for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said on Sunday that over 1,000 cases of Ebola have now been confirmed, with 254 deaths.
At least 30 of those fatalities occurred in a single camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the northeastern Congo, increasing fears that Ebola will run wild in crowded and unsanitary refugee camps.
The good news from the DRC Ministry of Health was that 100 people have recovered from Ebola infections – an encouraging recovery rate for the deadly disease amid conditions of poverty, insurgent conflict, and public distrust of health officials. The ministry said at least 365 patients were currently receiving treatment in hospitals and isolation wards.
The worst of the bad news came from the Kigonze refugee camp near Bunia, capital of Ituri province, which is the epicenter of the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak.
The Kingonze camp has about 15,000 residents, and according to administrators, many of them have refused to be tested for Ebola. At least 30 people have died since the beginning of May after exhibiting symptoms consistent with Ebola, and given the resistance to testing, officials simply have no idea how many people are infected. (Read more from “Ebola Spreads in Congo Refugee Camps, Cases Top 1,000” HERE)
