5 Recover from Ebola in DR Congo; Suspected Cases in Brazil and Italy

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated today that four nurses infected with the Ebola Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, have recovered and been discharged. The WHO noted that with early diagnosis, timely treatment, and strengthened response measures, more patients are expected to recover. Earlier this week, another laboratory worker recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to five. However, suspected cases related to travel to the affected countries have appeared in Brazil and Italy. According to data released by the Ministry of Communications of the DR Congo, after 19 new confirmed cases, the national cumulative total of Ebola cases has risen to 282, with 42 deaths. Earlier this month, the WHO declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain in the DR Congo and Uganda a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' (PHEIC). WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during his visit to Bunia on May 30 that while there is currently no approved vaccine or therapy for the Bundibugyo strain, 'it is not hopeless,' and patients still have a chance to survive with good medical care. This outbreak is the 17th in the DR Congo and the third largest since the discovery of the Ebola virus half a century ago. Currently, the speed of the outbreak has exceeded global response capabilities, and the international community is considered to have reacted too slowly. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, stated in an op-ed published in the Financial Times today that 'the risk of regional spread has become a reality,' with over 1,100 suspected cases currently under investigation. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, a man suspected of having Ebola was diagnosed with meningitis; another suspected case in Rio de Janeiro was diagnosed with malaria. Local health authorities noted that the possibility of Ebola infection has not been ruled out in either case. In Italy, the Financial Times reported that a patient in Cagliari, Sardinia, who developed symptoms after returning from the DR Congo, is hospitalized, and authorities have initiated epidemic prevention procedures.