DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak claims 506 lives, cases reach 1,561

More than 500 people have lost their lives to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo according to data by the World Health Organisation. Updated figures from the UN health agency show that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has resulted in 1,561 confirmed cases and 506 confirmed deaths since it was declared in mid-May. Two additional deaths have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda.Frontline workers deployed in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, issued a 24-hour strike notice on Sunday, demanding pending payments and improved working conditions.The workers, most of them healthcare professionals, said they had been working with little rest while responding to the outbreak amid attacks by residents and skepticism about the virus.In the notice, seen by The Associated Press, the workers said they had not received benefits since the outbreak began and lacked adequate supplies to carry out their duties.They also raised concerns over low salaries, the “arrogance” of teams sent from Kinshasa, the “excessive” deployment of workers from other provinces instead of hiring local staff in Ituri, and the lack of adequate equipment, as cited AP. The response has been complicated by the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo virus, the strain responsible for the current Ebola outbreak. Most of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s previous 16 Ebola outbreaks were caused by the Zaire virus, for which a vaccine is available.Health officials have yet to identify the outbreak’s index case and are continuing efforts to trace tens of thousands of people who may have come into contact with infected individuals.The World Health Organization has said the first month of the current outbreak was the deadliest on record.