DRC: 39 feared dead as authorities roll out prototype treatment to fight Ebola

The outbreak of Ebola in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has forced authorities in the region to roll out new prototype drugs to fight the virus amid concerns it has spread to a rebel-encircled area.

According to figures provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) a total of 105 confirmed and probable cases of the disease have been reported since the flare-up began on August 1.

Of them, 77 have been confirmed by laboratory tests, a total of 67 deaths, with 39 confirmed as Ebola and 28 listed as probable.

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Reacting to the introduction of the prototype drug, Health minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga revealed that he saw two patients being discharged after they were treated with a new prototype treatment called mAb114.

“These two people are among the first 10 patients to have received the therapeutic molecule mAb114,” the ministry said in a statement.

WHO had earlier noted that militia violence in the DRC is preventing aid workers from accessing potential Ebola victims who may have contracted the virus.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, said the region was sprinkled with so-called “red zones”, or inaccessible areas.

 

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