A new Ebola death has been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raising concerns about the spread of the virus in areas previously unaffected.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced during a virtual press conference on August 13 that a man who died in Baoule Province tested positive for Ebola.
The deceased was a motorcycle taxi driver who had traveled from the existing Ebola outbreak area of Ouele Province to the provincial capital, Butaro, where he exhibited symptoms of bleeding before passing away. Post-mortem tests confirmed the Ebola infection.
It has been reported that the man visited several healthcare facilities in Baoule Province before his death. The situation escalated when other motorcycle taxi drivers attempted to retrieve the body, prompting intervention from local police, which heightened fears of virus transmission.
In its latest report, the Congolese government included Baoule Province as the sixth area in the country to experience an Ebola outbreak.
As of August 12, statistics from the Congolese Ministry of Communication indicated that there have been a total of 4,665 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,184 deaths, with increases of 99 cases and 56 deaths from the previous day, resulting in a fatality rate of 46.8%. Currently, there are 634 patients in isolation or hospitalization, while 965 have recovered.
The Congolese government officially declared the Ebola outbreak on May 15. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the actual onset of the outbreak as occurring three months earlier, in February.
Internationally, confirmed cases continue to emerge. An American aid worker active in the Democratic Republic of Congo tested positive for Ebola on July 10 and was transferred to a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany. The patient, in their 60s, worked as a warehouse manager for a Christian relief organization and is reported to be in stable condition.
Earlier in late May, a surgeon affiliated with an American medical missionary organization also contracted Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo and received treatment at Charité University Hospital in Berlin.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.