The number of Ebola deaths in Congo is expected to pass 300 in the coming days, the health authority Africa CDC said on Thursday, as the outbreak continues to spread within the region.
There are currently 1,118 confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo, said Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya at his weekly press conference.
Of these cases, 291 people have died.
Although the outbreak has not yet reached its peak, 95% of the nation's beds are full. "We must build treatment centres and increase bed capacity," Kaseya underlined.
The rapid rise in cases is causing growing concern. None of the past Ebola epidemics in Africa has seen the number of confirmed cases reach this level within the first five weeks.
Clinical trials for treatment to start next week
Clinical trials for drugs are set to begin next week in Bunia, capital of the Ituri province hard-hit by the outbreak, Kaseya said.
Ebola is a life-threatening disease transmitted through physical contact and contact with bodily fluids. The current outbreak, which was first reported by authorities in mid-May, is particularly difficult to contain, partly because of the lack of a vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The Remdisivir vaccine, developed by manufacturers in the US and Egypt and due to be tested next week, has already reached Congo, Kaseya said.
It is a prophylactic treatment to be taken after exposure to the virus. The US-developed drug MBP134 is also expected to arrive in the coming days.
Several other companies are working on further vaccine candidates.
Meanwhile, the Congolese government on Thursday ordered a 21-day quarantine for people wishing to travel from Ebola-affected areas elsewhere in the country or abroad. The measure aims to reduce the risk of infection and allow for comprehensive contact tracing to find people potentially exposed to the virus, a statement said.
