The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has crossed the 3,000-case threshold, according to official figures released by the government on Sa
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has crossed the 3,000-case threshold, according to official figures released by the government on Saturday.
Health authorities reported 3,075 confirmed infections and 1,354 fatalities to date.
The data also shows 556 people have recovered, with 755 patients still receiving care in hospitals or isolation centres, as the epidemic continues to affect five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo.
Officials have called this the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record, driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. Fatalities climbed by over 40 per cent within five days, prompting one public health expert to compare the virus’s spread to a wildfire.
Compared to the prior Saturday, the case count jumped 27 per cent. However, not all of that increase reflects new infections alone — authorities noted that merging previously separate databases from Ituri and North Kivu into the national system accounted for a share of the surge, bringing to light cases that had gone uncounted.
Meanwhile, the outbreak response is under growing pressure. In Bunia, a city in Ituri province, staff at one treatment facility walked off the job over unpaid bonuses, interrupting patient care at the heart of the crisis.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka confirmed that scientists are racing to develop both a vaccine and a treatment targeting the Bundibugyo strain, while also pointing out that many patients delay seeking medical help until their symptoms worsen, making the disease harder to manage.
Ituri remains the epicentre of the crisis, accounting for close to 90 per cent of all confirmed cases since the outbreak began on May 15.
COMMENTS