BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Congo's Ebola outbreak has now recorded more than 4,000 deaths, authorities said as they struggle to contain the spread of the virus.
The latest figures were released by the health ministry on Thursday. They show that 4,018 people have died from among 8,300 confirmed cases, making up for nearly half of the confirmed cases in what has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
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Congo announced an outbreak on May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine.
The World Health Organization has recently raised the alarm regarding the rapid geographical spread of the virus into new health zones, stretching limited resources.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its latest news conference that the number of confirmed cases is falling, but that could be attributed to insecurity and challenges in getting communities to cooperate in some of the hotspots.
A Congolese politician was attacked and beaten to death earlier this week for defending government measures in dealing with the outbreak, highlighting tensions that have stretched both the health community and local resources.
The attack on Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official with Congo’s ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress party, took place on Sunday at his home in Butembo, an Ebola hotspot in the eastern North Kivu province. His house was set on fire afterward and he died at a hospital of his injuries.
Widespread mistrust of health workers and the authorities has hampered efforts to slow the Central African nation's 17th Ebola outbreak.
Authorities last month launched a village-centered approach but those efforts are battling beliefs by some residents who dismiss Ebola as a hoax. There is also deep distrust in the country’s government for reasons ranging from how it’s managed past Ebola outbreaks to chronic corruption.
