Africa

Fourth person in probable Ebola death in Congo: WHO

By Staff Writer 22 May 2017 1 Min Read Save

Last updated: 22 May 2017, 09:18

A JFK Hospital guard waits to greet patients, some suspected of suffering from the Ebola virus, in Monrovia on September 25, 2014. World leaders were asked to pledge urgently needed aid to battle Ebola in West Africa as Sierra Leone quarantined one million people in a desperate bid to beat back the deadly virus. US President Barack Obama warned that not enough was being done to tackle the crisis that has left close to 3,000 dead and is spreading at an alarming pace. AFP PHOTO / PASCAL GUYOT / AFP PHOTO / PASCAL GUYOT

KINSHASA – A fourth person has likely died from Ebola in remote northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said on Sunday, as the overall number of cases rose to 37 from 29.

Of the 37 cases of haemorrhagic fever discovered since early May, two have been confirmed as Ebola, three, including the latest death, are considered probable and 32 are suspected, WHO’s Congo spokesman Eugene Kabambi told Reuters.

Health authorities are monitoring 416 people who came into contact with sufferers and have dispatched mobile laboratories to the zone to more quickly test people who display symptoms, Kabambi said.

The affected zone’s extreme isolation has helped contain the highly contagious virus’ spread, though a lack of telecommunications, few paved roads and a shortage of thermometers have hindered the response.

Africa Congo Ebola