Death toll from deadly ebola outbreak reaches 34, UN health agency reports

The death toll from the recent outbreak of the ebola virus along the border between Gabon and the Republic of Congo has reached 34, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

According to WHO, Gabon has reported 26 confirmed cases, including 23 deaths, while 16 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths, have been reported in villages in the Republic of the Congo. An additional 22 suspected cases in Gabon are under investigation.

An international team tracking the deadly disease is operating in Libreville, Makokou and the Republic of the Congo. In a statement released today, the Geneva-based health agency said “discussions with the provincial and national authorities for the return of the team to Mekambo are continuing and it is hoped the team will go back at the earliest possible date to contain the outbreak with the local authorities.”

The team in Mekambo was relocated to Makokou after security concerns prompted WHO to move experts inland earlier this month.

Ebola, which is transmitted via direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, causes death in up to 90 per cent of all cases, according to WHO. There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the disease, which is often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, limited kidney and liver functions, and both internal and external bleeding.