About one-quarter of people living in cities affected by the Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing Ebola outbreak do not think the outbreak is real, according to a survey published March 27 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
For the survey, researchers polled 961 adults in two major outbreak areas — Beni and Butembo — between Sept. 1 and Sept. 18, 2018.
Five things to know:
1. About 32 percent of respondents said they trusted local authorities to represent their best interests.
2. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they thought the Ebola outbreak was not real.
3. Respondents who did not trust local officials or believed misinformation about Ebola were less likely to receive an Ebola vaccine or seek formal healthcare services.
4. The Ebola outbreak, which started in August 2018, represents the second worst outbreak of the disease in history. Health workers in the Congo have cited community mistrust and violence as major obstacles to limiting Ebola's spread.
5. As of March 28, health officials reported confirmed and probable 1,044 infections linked to the outbreak, including 652 deaths.