The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has increased to 933, including 245 deaths, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba announced on Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Ituri Province, where the first cases of the current outbreak were detected, Kamba said that 80 patients who had recovered from the virus had been discharged from Ebola treatment centres.
Meanwhile, at least 30 people have died since the start of May in a camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo. According to camp officials, the death toll in Kigonze camp, located in Bunia, represents an unprecedented mortality rate for the settlement. The victims reportedly exhibited symptoms commonly associated with Ebola, including headaches, fever, and vomiting.
Health authorities have been unable to confirm the causes of death because residents and relatives of the deceased had, until Thursday, refused Ebola testing for both the living and the dead.
Camp President Dz’djo Ndrutsi Etienne said that 10 people were buried during the current week alone, underscoring the severity of the situation.
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