The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including 223 suspected deaths under investigation.
An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola continues in the DRC, with cases also reported in Uganda.
There have been 125 confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC, including 17 confirmed deaths in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. Additionally, seven confirmed cases have been reported in Uganda, three of which were imported from the DRC, with one death. However, no community transmission has been observed, WHO said.
The case fatality rate among confirmed infections ranges from 30% to 50%, said Anais Legand from WHO's High Threat Pathogens Team. "It's huge. It means that up to five out of 10 people are likely to die," Legand noted, though she stressed that the data is preliminary and requires further investigation. Early care could help reduce fatality rates.
No approved vaccines or therapies currently exist specifically for Bundibugyo virus disease, WHO stated.
