Late yesterday afternoon and today the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced five more cases of Ebola virus disease in Beni and Butembo, the current epicenter of outbreak activity.
All three cases announced yesterday resulted in community deaths that involved safe and dignified burials in Beni, the country's health ministry said. Today two cases, one each in Beni and Butembo, were reported.
The new cases lift the outbreak total to 211, including 135 deaths.
As officials report 11 new cases, the WHO says the situation is deteriorating.
A humanitarian group highlights transmission within a school and more response disruption.
Three of the new cases, all fatal, involve children seen at the same clinic in Butanuka district in Beni.
Beni now has 57 confirmed or probable cases, and 35 deaths.
The flurry of new cases include 3 classified as probable involving people buried before samples were obtained.
In new developments, an attack in Butembo injured burial team members, and a rights group called for the International Criminal Court to expand its probe into Beni attacks as outbreak cases reach 165.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) said today it was part of an international multisite study evaluating ZMapp, an experimental Ebola treatment. ZMapp contains three antibodies and is being used in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Both newly reported patients belonged to families that refused Ebola vaccination, and one of them died.
