Africa CDC warns Ebola outbreak not ‘under control’

The African Union puts the current figures at 7,404 cases and 3,577 deaths.(AFP) — An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was far from being “under control,” Africa’s top health body said Thursday, a day after the World Health Organization said it was gaining ground against the virus.The outbreak, which began in the conflict-scarred northeastern province of Ituri, has caused more than 3,500 deaths among over 7,200 cases to date across seven northern and eastern provinces.Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya acknowledged there had been a “plateau” in cases, adding that officials were seeing “a slight decrease.”“And no one can come and say the outbreak is under control. No one,” he said.Kaseya’s remarks followed comments by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said Wednesday: “We are starting to see encouraging signs that we’re gaining ground.”Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Saturday on X that “the peak was reached” in the third week of August.Kaseya said “some of the comments that were made were based on incomplete data.”The African Union puts the current figures at 7,404 cases and 3,577 deaths.Ebola, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe internal and external bleeding and organ failure, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads