Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has case fatality rate under 25 percent
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported over 1,000 suspected and confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC since its declaration on May 15. Of these, ten deaths were confirmed to be from Ebola, with another 223 suspected.
In Uganda, one death was also confirmed due to Ebola, along with six additional infections.
The UN health agency warned that the virus’s actual spread could be much wider than reported.
The current outbreak is caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccines or treatments exist. Previous outbreaks involving this strain had case fatality rates between 30 and 50 percent.
However, the WHO noted that the case fatality rate can decrease over time as more cases are detected early and receive prompt care.