DR Congo ebola outbreak

This item appears on page 16 of the November 2018 issue.

On Aug. 1, 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a state of emergency in North Kivu Province after cases of ebola were confirmed in the area. At press time, 149 suspected cases had been identified, with 118 confirmed as ebola. It was suspected that at least 100 people had died of ebola in the outbreak, with 69 deaths due to ebola confirmed.

The ebola virus causes high fevers and internal and external hemorrhaging. It is spread via bodily fluids and is also carried by bats and monkeys, which are regularly eaten as "bush meat" in the area.