All articles tagged with #ituri
DR Congo reports 1,307 confirmed Ebola cases and 377 deaths across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, with a new case detected in Haut-Uele, signaling spread to a fourth province; authorities race to trace contacts amid mistrust and unsafe burials as health facilities face shortages and attacks, and four provinces ban public gatherings.
An eastern Congo gold town, Mongbwalu in Ituri, is believed to be the outbreak’s birthplace, with Ebola then spreading to Bunia and beyond; the Bundibugyo strain was confirmed on May 15 after genomic sequencing; as of June 20, Congo logged about 1,003 confirmed cases, including 220 in Mongbwalu, though aid workers say the true toll is higher; transmission has been fueled by poverty and a mobile mining workforce, while distrust of responders and delays in testing complicate containment.
As Ebola cases rise toward 1,000, UNICEF estimates about 2.95 million children and adolescents in eastern DRC are at risk due to the outbreak and disrupted services; 135 Ituri children have been orphaned and are receiving protection as nurseries for unaccompanied kids begin operating. Malnutrition and low vaccination rates heighten risk, and UNICEF is seeking $70.7 million for a six‑month response (with $20 million unfunded) to sustain health, nutrition, immunisation, protection and other essential services.
Eastern Congo's Ebola outbreak has reached 1,003 confirmed cases and 254 deaths, with contact tracing at only about 55% coverage and thousands of potential contacts still unknown; the Bundibugyo virus has no vaccine or treatment, and authorities warn the true scale could be higher amid ongoing violence that hinders access and mass displacement, as the response works to identify patient zero and curb further spread.
Mourners in Ituri, eastern Congo, buried a 6-month-old Ebola victim—the third child to die at an orphanage—as health workers struggle to contain the Bundibugyo-strain outbreak, which has 894 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths, is concentrated in Ituri with cross-border spillover to Uganda, and is hampered by limited PPE and tensions over burial practices.
In Bunia, DR Congo, Ebola funeral practices have shifted to safe burials: bodies are placed in leak-proof bags and coffins with transparent panels, and family members are not allowed to wash or dress the deceased. WHO anthropologist Julienne Anoko and IFRC teams work with communities to respect cultural rites while maintaining infection-control measures, as mourners attend smaller ceremonies and the toll of the outbreak persists.
In DR Congo's Ituri province, health workers celebrate after a patient tests negative twice and leaves the Mongbwalu Ebola treatment centre, signaling hope amid a Bundibugyo outbreak that has killed over 140 people in Ituri and more than 170 nationwide. The report also highlights local myths like the coffin curse, past attacks on treatment centres, and improvements such as a local lab and reinforced infection-control practices that are helping drive faster results and build trust in the response.
An Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC and neighboring Uganda—caused by the Bundibugyo virus with no vaccine—has raised fears in Bunia as health teams race to contain 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths in DRC (as of June 10) and 19 cases, 2 deaths in Uganda. PPE shortages, testing delays, and logistical hurdles strain responders, while misinformation spreads and public-facing workers lose income as flights halt and daily commerce shrinks.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo strain, rose to 782 confirmed cases and 181 deaths after 72 new infections in the last 24 hours. Ituri remains the epicenter, with the virus spreading into North and South Kivu and beyond to Uganda. Response is hampered by limited contact tracing (56.5% vs 95% target), security disruptions, and surveillance gaps, while MSF warns the true scale may be underestimated. WHO is boosting diagnostics and surveillance despite a $21.5 million funding gap and no approved vaccine.
72 new Ebola cases were reported in 24 hours in Congo, raising the total to 782 cases and 181 deaths in a Bundibugyo-virus outbreak centered in Ituri. Weak contact tracing, insecurity, and funding gaps are hampering the response, while the WHO and Africa CDC expand testing, tracing, and treatment as cases spread to North and South Kivu and across the Uganda border.
One month into the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC, cases have climbed to about 676 with 136 deaths, mostly in Ituri; frontline workers face PPE shortages, slow testing, and community mistrust, hindering containment. Uganda reports 19 cases; 22 countries have travel restrictions. A six-month plan estimates a funding need of $518m, with about $212m pledged so far. Scientists are racing to test vaccines and antivirals, but conflict and attacks on aid workers complicate the response, and the outbreak has risen to become the third-largest on record, with fears it could match the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic if not controlled.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 100 deaths among roughly 550 cases. Ongoing fighting in eastern Congo is disrupting surveillance and response efforts, with displacement in Ituri complicating contact tracing, while WHO notes the global risk remains low and urges coordinated local action.
Etienne Ezo, a nurse at Bunia’s hospital in Ituri, Congo, contracted Bundibugyo Ebola during a local outbreak, endured days of severe symptoms in isolation, and recovered—possibly aided by a vaccine for a different Ebola strain—while shortages of PPE and widespread mistrust complicate the response as hundreds are infected and dozens have died.
Four nurses in Bunia, Ituri, have recovered from Bundibugyo virus Ebola and were discharged, bringing total recoveries to five (including a lab worker). WHO notes early diagnosis and dedicated care are key to survival. A refurbished Ebola Treatment Centre with 24 beds (expandable to 60) and a planned annex (up to 42 beds) are being set up as the outbreak is investigated further; as of May 31 there were 210 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, with 349 suspected cases under investigation and 16 health workers sick. WHO remains hopeful and is prioritizing candidate treatments and vaccines for trials while continuing response measures and maintaining essential health services.
WHO chief Tedros says stopping Ebola in eastern DRC is everyone’s business and calls for community involvement, as protests over burial practices complicate response; the outbreak has 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths, 282 confirmed cases and 42 deaths, with fighting in Ituri hindering relief efforts; there is no vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, but early care can save lives, and international aid from the EU and US is flowing; MSF warns the spread is accelerating and urges a faster, better-coordinated response.