Ebola cases surge past 2,000, now fastest-growing outbreak in history

News brief

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is now the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, with 2,011 cases, including 754 deaths recorded in the past two months, officials said yesterday.

And now workers at the Bunia General Hospital have gone on strike, joining other health professionals in Ituri province who said Congolese officials have not paid them during the outbreak.

At least 80% of new cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, Chikwe Ihekweazu, MD, the WHO health emergencies chief, told the United Nations after returning from Bunia yesterday.

Deaths in the community becoming common

“We've seen the fastest growth in a single month since the outbreak started and of all the Ebola outbreaks that we have managed,” he said. “You have to imagine that this is a fire. There’s something driving the fire in its heart, and it's also expanding at the same time.”

Ihekweazu said most of the deaths reported in the last week are occurring within the community, meaning transmission is likely to increase among family members and friends who may have contacted Ebola patients while they were actively dying and contagious.

We must find the cases earlier.

“We must find the cases earlier, bring them into care as soon as possible,” he said.

New York officials find Legionella in 76 cooling towers as cases hit 63

News brief

Stephanie Soucheray, MA

Yesterday New York City’s Department of Health (NYC Health) said 76 cooling towers on the Upper East Side have tested positive for the Legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease.

The department provided a list of cleaned towers and towers that are awaiting treatment to eliminate bacteria. So far, 63 people in the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville have been sickened with Legionnaires’ disease, a severe lung infection that can be deadly, especially in older adults.

Residential water should be safe

“This is not an issue with any building's plumbing system. Residents in these ZIP codes can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook, and use your air conditioner at home,” NYC Health said in a statement.

Of the 63 case-patients, 12 are currently hospitalized, 11 are not hospitalized, and 40 have been discharged from the hospital. No deaths have been recorded with this outbreak.

Early treatment with antibiotics can be helpful in preventing severe progression of the disease, officials said. They urged anyone who lives or works in this area, or people who have visited the area since late June, to visit a healthcare provider if they begin to experience flu-like symptoms, such as cough, fever, or difficulty breathing.