Ebola: Over 1,000 people infected in Congo, kills toddler in camp

Ebola has now infected more than 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in an outbreak that has spread to a third displacement camp and killed an 18-month-old girl.

Congo’s government confirmed that its death toll reached 254.

The speed of its spread across three provinces of eastern Congo has prompted warnings from African health experts that the outbreak could eventually surpass the epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa from 2014 to 2016.

A Congolese health report stated that the 18-month-old baby tested for Ebola on June 14 in the Hungbe displacement camp, and died before the positive result came back the next day.

The report said the baby had developed a fever more than a week earlier, and was carried on ‌foot to ⁠two different health centres and given antibiotics before finally getting tested.

At least 107 people came into contact with her, including family members, healthcare workers and people from other camps, the report added.

Dr Emmanuel Musingusi Bulemu, a ⁠Congolese health official in the surrounding Nizi zone, said there was a shortage of facilities to isolate patients.

“We need to separate these patients from the community because they risk infecting others but where can we put them?,’’ he added.

There have also been two confirmed cases ⁠in Kpangba, another displacement camp in the same area housing people who have fled decades of conflict between armed groups, militias and the army.

At least 30 people have died in a camp in another displacement site ⁠in Bunia.

According to preliminary data from the UN children’s agency UNICEF, so far, nearly a fifth of confirmed cases have been children. A much smaller number of cases have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda.