Ebola cases in Congo jump by 72 in a day as tracing falters
Congo has logged 72 new Ebola cases in a day as the Bundibugyo outbreak expands. Weak tracing, insecurity and funding gaps are making containment harder across the east and into Uganda.
Congolese authorities have reported 72 new Ebola cases in 24 hours, one of the highest single-day rises since the latest outbreak was declared on May 15. The increase comes as weak contact tracing, insecurity and funding gaps continue to slow the response.
The new cases take the total number of confirmed infections to 782, including 181 confirmed deaths after 32 new deaths were recorded, the Congolese Ministry of Health said on Sunday. The outbreak is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the Zaire virus that was responsible for most of Congo's previous 16 Ebola outbreaks.
Authorities believe the true number of cases could be higher because the outbreak was confirmed weeks after it is suspected to have begun. The ministry said contact tracing coverage has dropped to 56 per cent, a sharp fall from last week. It also said 56 people have recovered and the current fatality rate stands at 23 per cent.
The World Health Organisation said on Sunday it is intensifying testing, contact tracing and treatment. Africa's top health body said the same day that it is deploying technical expertise and supporting laboratory systems, active case finding and community engagement efforts to speed up the response.
"We remain committed to supporting affected countries until transmission is stopped. We call on partners and donors to urgently mobilise resources to strengthen the response and save lives," said Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, or Africa CDC.
The outbreak is concentrated in Congo's eastern Ituri province, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of the cases. Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, and the outbreak has spread across the border to Uganda. According to the UN humanitarian office, nearly a million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently across a vast area with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach. Tracing is also difficult among thousands of artisanal miners who regularly move between remote sites in the mineral-rich region.
Overall, the latest Ebola outbreak in Congo is widening quickly, with health authorities and international agencies trying to contain the spread amid low tracing coverage, displacement and difficult ground conditions.
Congolese authorities have reported 72 new Ebola cases in 24 hours, one of the highest single-day rises since the latest outbreak was declared on May 15. The increase comes as weak contact tracing, insecurity and funding gaps continue to slow the response.
The new cases take the total number of confirmed infections to 782, including 181 confirmed deaths after 32 new deaths were recorded, the Congolese Ministry of Health said on Sunday. The outbreak is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the Zaire virus that was responsible for most of Congo's previous 16 Ebola outbreaks.
Authorities believe the true number of cases could be higher because the outbreak was confirmed weeks after it is suspected to have begun. The ministry said contact tracing coverage has dropped to 56 per cent, a sharp fall from last week. It also said 56 people have recovered and the current fatality rate stands at 23 per cent.
The World Health Organisation said on Sunday it is intensifying testing, contact tracing and treatment. Africa's top health body said the same day that it is deploying technical expertise and supporting laboratory systems, active case finding and community engagement efforts to speed up the response.
"We remain committed to supporting affected countries until transmission is stopped. We call on partners and donors to urgently mobilise resources to strengthen the response and save lives," said Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, or Africa CDC.
The outbreak is concentrated in Congo's eastern Ituri province, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of the cases. Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, and the outbreak has spread across the border to Uganda. According to the UN humanitarian office, nearly a million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently across a vast area with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach. Tracing is also difficult among thousands of artisanal miners who regularly move between remote sites in the mineral-rich region.
Overall, the latest Ebola outbreak in Congo is widening quickly, with health authorities and international agencies trying to contain the spread amid low tracing coverage, displacement and difficult ground conditions.
