The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 300 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a little over one month after it was declared, health authorities said on Friday. The deadly viral disease, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. A total of 304 people in the DRC have now died of the virus, from 1,115 confirmed infections since the outbreak was detected on May 15, giving a mortality rate of 26.3 percent, the National Public Health Institute (INSP) said. This is a jump from the 202 deaths confirmed on June 18 by the African Union's health agency, from 875 confirmed infections -- a mortality rate of 23 percent. The Red Cross warned last week that the outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever has yet to peak and could take up to a year to contain. In some rare good news, the DRC authorities announced in early June that several Ebola patients had been treated and cured. Responders to the epidemic, the 17th to hit the vast, unstable central African country, face towering challenges. No approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for the latest outbreak to hit the DRC, which is one of the world's poorest countries. The three affected provinces in eastern DRC -- Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu -- have been plagued for three decades by conflict and mass displacement, complicating the response. The outbreak has spread to neighboring Uganda, where containment measures have been effective. Kampala has reported 20 confirmed cases nationwide, including two deaths since May 15. Most of those infected are Congolese nationals who have travelled to Uganda. On Wednesday, France reported the outbreak's first confirmed case of Ebola outside Africa -- a Congolese doctor who was working in the DRC for the international medical aid NGO ALIMA. The World Health Organization says there is minimal risk of the virus spreading in Europe and there is no need for travel restrictions. Air France, on which the doctor flew back to France, has nevertheless suspended all flights to Kinshasa for several days. - Ituri - The vast majority of cases in the DRC have been detected in Ituri. The mineral-rich province is plagued with unrest from a string of rival armed groups, and frequent population movements favour the spread of the disease. More than 91 percent of all infections have been registered in the provincial capital, Bunia, and more than 82 percent of all deaths. Efforts to contain the virus have been ratcheted up in Ituri. But healthcare facilities -- which often operate with limited resources -- still lack basic equipment and supplies, such as personal protective equipment and chlorine. Many clinics set up by the WHO and aid agencies are close to full, the country's public health agency said. At least 78 healthcare workers have been infected with the virus, and 18 have died, it added. Medical and aid workers also have to contend with deep mistrust from some local communities. Some families have demanded that hospitals hand over the bodies of the deceased, not realizing that touching the body puts them at risk of contamination. The reluctance of some families to allow post-mortem examinations on the victims is also leading to an underestimation of the number of cases, officials said.
