The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed 600 lives, according to updated figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, just three days after the death toll crossed 500.
The UN health agency said the outbreak, which was declared in mid-May, has so far recorded 1,759 confirmed cases in the DRC, including 600 confirmed deaths, reports AFP/BSS.
In neighbouring Uganda, two people have died from Ebola, while 17 of the 20 confirmed patients have recovered.
“The outbreak continues to expand, and its true scale has not yet been fully established,” Anne Ancia, WHO representative in the DRC, said on Tuesday.
Figures from the DRC health authorities showed that the outbreak has a case fatality rate of 34 per cent. A total of 285 patients have recovered, while 304 suspected cases of the viral haemorrhagic fever are still under investigation.
The outbreak, the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak, has affected four provinces in the northeastern part of the country, with the majority of cases concentrated in Ituri province.
The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist.
A clinical trial of two potential treatments for the strain began in the DRC on 2 July. The trial is assessing the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, both separately and in combination.
Ebola spreads through close contact with infected people and exposure to infected bodily fluids.
Outbreak remains in ‘expansion phase’
WHO officials said the outbreak was still expanding, with transmission continuing.
“It is still in the expansion phase, unfortunately. We would like to say it is stabilising, but frankly we cannot say it yet,” Ancia told a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
Speaking from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, she said efforts to contain the outbreak were being complicated by population movements, ongoing insecurity and weaknesses in the healthcare system.
“Humanitarian needs remain substantial, particularly regarding civilian protection, access to food, and essential health services, while other diseases such as malaria and measles continue to spread,” she said.
Around 700 beds are currently available across 22 Ebola treatment centres, with efforts under way to add another 300 beds. The centres are operating at about 90 per cent capacity, putting significant pressure on the response, Ancia said.
More than 10,000 contacts of infected people are being monitored, with an 82 per cent follow-up rate. The WHO estimates that a 95 per cent follow-up rate is needed to bring the outbreak under control.
Laboratory capacity has also expanded significantly, increasing from 30 tests per day in Kinshasa to more than 2,000 tests daily through decentralised laboratories in affected provinces.
The WHO has appealed for $115 million to strengthen its Ebola response, but only 32 per cent of the required funds have been received so far.
One of the affected areas is South Kivu province, where clashes have intensified between Congolese armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday called for an immediate end to the fighting, warning that the escalation was worsening the humanitarian situation and raising fears of further displacement, including across international borders.
