Ebola death toll tops 600 as Africa CDC urges sustained efforts against outbreak

Experts from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday urged sustained international solidarity, as the death toll of the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has surpassed 600 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.



The two affected countries have recorded a cumulative 1,779 confirmed cases and 602 deaths, with a case fatality rate of about 34 percent, while some 302 patients have recovered from the disease so far, according to the latest data from the African Union's continental public health agency.



During an online press briefing, Wessam Mankoula, operations manager for the Ebola response at Africa CDC, noted that the DRC recorded some 353 confirmed cases during the past week, which marked a 25 percent increase in the country's caseload.



"We continue facing the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever on the continent," Mankoula said. "The outbreak is still growing and evolving. Unfortunately, the virus is still ahead of our response."



Africa CDC data showed that as the outbreak expands in the DRC, for every 10 infected individuals, the virus is transmitted to approximately 14 new people.