Associated Press: Number of suspected Ebola cases in Congo now up to 29

“The World Health Organization says Congo now faces 29 suspected cases of the deadly Ebola virus. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier on Friday said the number includes two laboratory-confirmed deaths…” (5/19).

CIDRAP News: WHO: Ebola vaccine could be deployed within a week

“In a telebriefing [Thursday] on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, World Health Organization (WHO) officials said while the country has yet to make a formal request for the Ebola vaccine, such a requisition could be fulfilled within one week…” (Soucheray, 5/18).

NBC News: Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo to Cost $10 Million, WHO Says

“… ‘There are only 20 kilometers (12 miles) of paved roads in this area and virtually no functioning telecommunications,’ WHO’s Dr. Peter Salama told a news conference. ‘As of now we do not know the full extent of the outbreak’…” (Fox, 5/18).

New York Times: Suspected Cases of Ebola Rise to 29 in Democratic Republic of Congo

“…Dr. Peter Salama, the executive director of the organization’s health emergencies program, said at a briefing that it was essential to ‘never, ever underestimate Ebola’ and to ‘make sure we have a no-regrets approach to this outbreak’…” (Grady, 5/18).

ScienceInsider: As Ebola outbreak grows, question of using vaccine becomes more urgent

“As health officials and aid workers head to a remote corner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to respond to an outbreak of Ebola virus disease, a key question remains: Will the government authorize the use of a promising experimental vaccine? The vaccine had stunning results in a clinical trial in Guinea in 2015, but it has yet to be licensed for broad use…” (Cohen, 5/18).

TIME: Ebola Is Back. Here Are the Challenges Ahead

“…The response to the outbreak is being led by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Health and WHO, with partners including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the Red Cross. Priorities currently include a heavy focus on surveillance: getting the best information about the people who have been affected and tracking those who may have been affected, as well as managing and isolating Ebola cases and engaging local communities…” (Samuelson, 5/18).

U.N. News Centre: Experts race against clock to quell Ebola outbreak in remote DR Congo province — U.N.

“…Meanwhile, the first Ebola treatment center has been established in the Likati General Hospital. Protective gear has been dispatched to health workers and a mobile lab is being constructed and then deployed to the area. Immediate repairs to air strips and telecommunications are also being carried out. The first six months of the operation are expected to cost $10 million…” (5/18).