In the Congo, the disease Ebola spreads fast. Health workers in the North-East report this. In 24 hours, there are 72 new cases. Now 782 people are sick. The number of deaths grows. There are 181 confirmed deaths. Experts think: The real number is higher. The death rate is about 23 percent. This means: Almost every fourth sick person dies. Currently, 359 people are in the hospital. Others are in a special station.
The helpers have a big problem. They must find contacts of sick people. Only then can they stop the spread. The World Health Organization says: Find 90 percent of contacts. In the Congo, they find only 56 percent. The group Doctors Without Borders warns. No one knows the real size of the disease. In the Ituri region, hospitals are full. Many patients come for help too late. Often, no one checked them before. Rapid tests for the people are missing.
Ebola is a very dangerous disease. The virus moves through body contact. Body fluids are also dangerous. The current germ is called Bundibugyo. There is no vaccine for this type. There is also no special cure. This makes the help very hard. The labs need too much time for results. Without fast tests, people detect cases too late.
