"No Cure Available, Spread Accelerates... Already 105 Dead, American Infected"
One American Missionary Infected
Over 100 Deaths Reported in Congo
As the Ebola virus, for which there are no available vaccines or treatments, is spreading rapidly across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, health authorities worldwide are on high alert. Concerns are mounting that the rate of transmission may accelerate, especially after it was reported that an American engaged in missionary work in the region has also been infected.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), on the 18th (local time), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement announcing that six Americans performing missionary work in the Congo area had high-risk exposure to a confirmed Ebola virus patient, and among them, one has tested positive for the infection.
The WSJ reports that the infected individual is Dr. Peter Stafford, a missionary affiliated with the US Christian mission organization Serge, who was exposed to the Ebola virus while treating patients at a hospital in northeastern Congo.
The Ebola virus is spreading rapidly in the Congo region. According to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as of the 18th, the number of suspected Ebola cases in the country stands at 393, with 105 deaths recorded. However, as the number of tested samples remains low, it is understood that not all suspected cases, including the fatalities, have been confirmed as Ebola infections.
The main outbreak areas of the Ebola virus are currently Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri in the northeast bordering Uganda and South Sudan, as well as Rwampara and Mongwalu. In addition, cases have also been reported in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which is currently controlled by the M23 rebel group in Congo.
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Meanwhile, the Ebola virus remains a viral disease for which no treatment has been discovered to date, and it is transmitted through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected individuals. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, which reportedly has a fatality rate of 30% to 50%. Although this is lower than the Zaire strain, which has a fatality rate of up to 90%, there are still no available vaccines or treatments.
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