The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has so far infected 750 children, a number significantly higher than during previous outbreaks, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson in Geneva Marixie Mercado said on Tuesday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2019) The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has so far infected 750 children, a number significantly higher than during previous outbreaks, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson in Geneva Marixie Mercado said on Tuesday."This outbreak is infecting more children than previous outbreaks," Mercado said in a press release. "As of 7 July, there had been 750 infections among children. This represents 31 percent of total cases, compared with about 20 percent in previous outbreaks
Mercado explained that children younger than 5 years of age are most vulnerable to Ebola, and are infecting women.
"Of the 750 cases among children, 40 per cent were among under-fives. They, in turn, are infecting women," Mercado said.
Mercado pointed out preventing children from being infected is a major part of the overall response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
"Young children are at a higher risk than adults, which is why they need specialized attention," Mercado said.
According to the World Health Organization, 2,489 Ebola cases have been registered since August 2018. The number of deaths stands at 1,665.
The Ebola virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals and has an estimated 50-percent fatality rate.
The most severe Ebola outbreak took place in West Africa in 2014-2015, resulting in the death of more than 11,000 people.
