WHO is monitoring a significant decline in suspected Ebola cases

The World Health A significant decrease in the number of suspected cases of Ebola in Central Africa, from 900 previously recorded cases to 116, while the number of confirmed cases rose to 330.

The organization stated on Tuesday that as of May 31, 116 suspected cases had been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, compared to 906 cases at the end of last week.

But the number of confirmed cases in the country reached 321 cases, including 48 deaths, while it was recorded 9 confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda and one death.

Symptoms resembling Ebola

The organization’s spokesman, Christian Lindmeier, explained that some suspected cases have been confirmed, while a large number of them have been excluded after it was proven that their patients were infected with other diseases with similar symptoms in their early stages, or with a fever not related to the virus.

He pointed out that anyone who is monitored through surveillance systems or goes to a health facility and shows symptoms that may resemble Ebola is listed as a suspected case, until the necessary tests are carried out.

The outbreak of the disease was declared on May 15 in the Ituri region in northeastern Democratic Congo, which has a population of approximately 100 million people, knowing that it is among the poorest countries in the world, in addition to suffering from armed conflicts.

It is believed that the virus, which is transmitted through direct contact and bodily fluids and can cause a fatal hemorrhagic fever, was spreading Silently for weeks before the outbreak was declared.

This is partly because infection with a strain "Bundibugyo" Ebola, which is responsible for the current outbreak, begins with symptoms similar to influenza, malaria, or typhoid, which may delay its detection.

Exclusion of many cases

According to Lindemeyer, many suspected cases were excluded after conducting tests and discovering that they were infected with malaria, meningitis, or other diseases.

He said that once these cases were excluded, they would be removed from the list of suspected cases, noting that However, confirmed cases are added to the official statistics.

In its latest update, the World Health Organization removed the category of suspected deaths, which was previously estimated at 223 deaths, given that it included people who died some time ago and whose bodies could not, in many cases, be exhumed for the necessary tests.
On the other hand, 6 people who tested positive for the virus have recovered during the current outbreak.

There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the strain. "Bundibugyo"Which makes infection prevention and control measures the primary means of containing the spread of the disease.

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