DR Congo Ebola cases top 2,400 amid continued transmission

KINSHASA: Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have risen to 2,423, including 967 deaths, health authorities said in an update.It said 734 patients remained in quarantine or treatment as of July 19, while 469 people had recovered since the outbreak began. Health authorities also reported a newly affected health zone, Adja, in Ituri province, bringing the total to 47 across five provinces, of which 46 remain under active transmission.The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, was declared on May 15. It has since spread to five provinces. Population movements, insecurity, artisanal mining activities and cross-border exchanges with Uganda and South Sudan continue to facilitate transmission.As of July 19, the outbreak has also infected 121 frontline health workers in Ituri province, including 36 deaths.Meanwhile, the DRC and Uganda conducted a joint technical assessment of a mobile laboratory in Kasenyi near the border to strengthen cross-border surveillance.Overcrowding at displacement sites increases Ebola risk in DR Congo: UNOvercrowding and limited access to basic services in displacement sites are increasing the risk of the spread of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians warned on Monday.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed Ebola cases had been reported in at least 16 sites hosting more than 270,000 displaced people across Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak.OCHA said the world body and its partners were supporting displaced communities through prevention and awareness activities, such as installing handwashing stations and conducting community outreach on Ebola prevention measures.As of Saturday, DRC health authorities had reported 2,344 confirmed Ebola cases across five provinces. Ituri accounts for nearly 90 percent of the confirmed cases, according to OCHA.The office continued its call for increased international support to sustain the Ebola response and life-saving assistance to displaced communities already facing years of conflict, displacement, and deteriorating living conditions.