Ebola Outbreak in Congo Spirals Out of Control: 50% of New Cases Untraceable

Ebola Outbreak in Congo Spirals Out of Control: 50% of New Cases Untraceable

A majority of new Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are coming from unknown infection chains, meaning health workers cannot trace how the virus is spreading.

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The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading faster than health workers can contain it, with a majority of new cases now coming from unknown chains of infection, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday. After returning from a trip to one of the hardest-hit areas, the WHO’s emergencies chief said the outbreak “continues to outpace the response efforts.” Health officials cannot trace where patients caught the virus, making it nearly impossible to stop further spread through contact tracing, isolation, and vaccination. The outbreak, which began last year, has already killed hundreds. Health teams are struggling to track contacts and reach remote communities. International health groups are calling for more resources and better access to affected areas to slow the crisis [196495].

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Ebola Outbreak in Congo Outpaces Response; Most New Cases Unknown #196495

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