The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced on the 22nd that the country has reported a total of 999 Ebola deaths. As a result, the cumulative number of deaths from this outbreak in both the DRC and Uganda has exceeded 1,000.
According to reports from the DRC Ministry of Health, as of the 20th, the country had reported a total of 2,473 confirmed Ebola cases, with 999 cumulative deaths. Data released by Uganda’s Ministry of Health on the 21st showed the country had reported a total of 20 confirmed cases, including 2 deaths. This outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has resulted in a combined total of 1,001 deaths in both the DRC and Uganda.
The DRC Ministry of Health also noted that as of the 20th, 737 patients were undergoing isolation or hospitalized treatment, with 482 cumulative recoveries.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, stated at a recent press conference in Geneva that this current Ebola outbreak has become the third largest recorded Ebola outbreak in history. Within the previous month, the outbreak spread faster than any previous Ebola outbreak.
Additionally, Uganda’s last patient was discharged after recovery on the 16th, officially entering a 42-day observation period. According to WHO standards, a country can declare an outbreak over after 42 consecutive days without any new confirmed cases from the day the last confirmed patient is no longer capable of transmitting the virus.