Kinshasa, Sept. 28 (SANA) Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 8,000 for the first time in the current outbreak, with 3,901 deaths reported as health authorities battle continuing transmission across eastern and northeastern DR Congo, according to government data released Monday.
The country’s public health institute reported 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, making the current outbreak the largest Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo.
The latest government figures are higher than the World Health Organization’s most recent published update, which recorded 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths as of Sept. 23. WHO said transmission remained high, with the outbreak affecting 63 health zones across seven provinces.
The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, one of the viruses that can cause Ebola disease. WHO says the response is being complicated by insecurity, displacement and limited access to basic services in affected areas, which can hamper surveillance, contact tracing and timely access to care.
North Kivu sees rising transmission
Ituri remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for 6,032 confirmed cases as of Sept. 23, according to WHO.
North Kivu has emerged as the second-most affected province and has experienced a sharp increase in transmission. WHO recorded 1,480 cumulative cases there as of Sept. 23 and said the province had the outbreak’s highest reported case fatality ratio, at 59.7 percent.
Cases have spread across seven provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé, Tshopo and Sud Ubangi.
WHO has assessed the outbreak risk as very high within DR Congo and high for countries sharing land borders with it, while assessing the risk to the rest of the African region and globally as low.
Largest Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo
WHO described the outbreak in August as the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country, surpassing previous outbreaks in both scale and geographic spread.
The current outbreak has exceeded the scale of DR Congo’s 2018-2020 Ebola epidemic, which had previously been the country’s largest.
Globally, however, the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic remains substantially larger, with more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths recorded, principally in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Health authorities and international partners continue surveillance, contact tracing, clinical care and community engagement as they work to interrupt transmission. WHO has emphasized that rapid detection, testing and access to appropriate care are critical to reducing deaths and limiting further spread.
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