The second-largest Ebola outbreak on record is over after nearly two years and more than 2,200 deaths, Democratic Republic of Congo said on Thursday, even as a separate flare-up of the virus continued on the other side of the country. Despite effective vaccines and treatments that dramatically boosted survival rates, the outbreak dragged on as first responders struggled to gain access to virus hotspots in Congo’s restive east. “Compared to previous outbreaks, this last one was the longest, the most complex and the deadliest,” Health Minister Eteni Longondo told reporters. Congo has suffered 11 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was discovered near the Ebola River in 1976, more than double any other country. Its equatorial forests are a natural reservoir for the virus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and is spread through contact with body fluids.
SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES
More Stories
Namibia Identified as a Strategic Enabler of the European Union’s Decarbonization Agenda
Meet Burkina Faso’s New Leader
Is Kipchoge Well On the Way to Breaking the Elusive Sub-2-hour Marathon Barrier?
No Room for Ex Burkina Leader
Africa’s Youth Set the Tone for Cop27
A Rundown on 5G’s Status among Africa’s First Movers
Nigeria Will Award Contracts for its Flared Gas by the End of December
Residents of Hwange Live in Fear as Mining Firm Fails to Stop Raging Underground Blazes
Climate Change and the Green Morocco Programme Threatens the Livelihood of Nomads
SA is Headed for a Showdown with Tobacco Companies
Robin Roberts Explores Culture, History And Fashion in Ghana with ‘Black Panther’ Star
Ivory Coast’s Obou Gbais is Painting the Story of His Life