DR Congo’s official Ebola death toll exceeds 400

Kinshasa: The official death toll in an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo now exceeds more than 400, according to official figures released on Thursday.
The highly infectious disease has claimed 438 lives among the 1,406 people confirmed infected — a fatality rate of just over 31 per cent — since the outbreak was declared on May 15, the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) said in its latest report.
A first case was also recently reported in the major northeastern city of Kisangani, nearly 600 km from the epicentre of the crisis.
A test on the body of a 24-year-old pregnant woman was positive for Ebola, the INSP said.
“The deceased’s body was secretly transported by motorcycle to Kisangani” from the health zone of Nia Nia in Ituri, the health authorities said.
Kisangani is a city of 1.5 million residents and the capital of Tshopo province.
The body of a deceased Ebola victim remains highly infectious and in many cases the virus has been transmitted during burial rites. — AFP