Alarm about new Ebola outbreak
Photo: Jerome Delay/AP/TT

Alarm about new Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo: Very high mortality rate

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being driven by a new variant with high mortality and a lack of treatment options, the country's health minister warns.

According to the latest reports, around 80 people are estimated to have died in the outbreak and hundreds more are suspected to be infected.

There is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the Bundibugyo variant. This variant has a very high mortality rate, up to 50 percent, Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said on Saturday.

The risk of infection is increasing due to population movements linked to the mining industry, and also due to poor security in some areas and a lack of contact tracing, the African Union's public health body recently warned.

The Ebola virus is a rare but often fatal hemorrhagic fever that is spread through bodily fluids.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

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