DR Congo Ebola Cases Near 3,000 After Review

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s confirmed Ebola infections have risen to nearly 3,000 after health authorities revised surveillance data from two of the outbreak’s worst-affected provinces, underscoring the scale of the country’s latest public health emergency.

According to the National Institute of Public Health, confirmed cases increased to 2,905, including 1,269 deaths, following a reconciliation of records from Ituri and North Kivu provinces with the national database. The updated figures also show that the number of confirmed Ebola deaths surpassed 1,000 earlier this week, making the outbreak one of the deadliest the country has faced in recent years.

Health officials said the increase largely reflects improved data reconciliation and surveillance rather than a sudden surge in new infections. The review was carried out to ensure that provincial records matched the national case database, providing a more accurate picture of the outbreak’s impact.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the true scale of the epidemic could be two to four times higher than official figures because of underreporting, limited surveillance and challenges in accessing conflict-affected communities.

Declared in mid-May, the outbreak is the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 17th Ebola epidemic and is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which has a fatality rate of about 40%. There is currently no approved vaccine for the strain, making containment efforts more difficult as health workers continue surveillance, contact tracing and treatment across affected areas.

SOURCE: Reuters