The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 515, including 91 deaths, while health authorities warned on Sunday (7) of continued transmission of the disease and the risk of further increases if control measures are not quickly implemented.
The update, released by the Ministry of Health, indicates that three more patients have been discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 12 as of June 6.
The report notes that 117 suspected cases have been recorded, while 283 patients remain in isolation or hospitalized.
According to the document, a high number of confirmed patients developed symptoms between May 14 and 23, suggesting “increasing transmission from a likely common source,” with a peak observed on May 18.
The report adds that another group of confirmed patients developed symptoms between May 25 and June 3, which “demonstrates the spread of the disease” and may constitute “an important reservoir” for transmission.
“Cases could rise if appropriate measures are not implemented very quickly,” the document warns.
The response to the outbreak continues to be hampered by weaknesses in contact tracing, community resistance to postmortem testing, insufficient capacity at specialized Ebola treatment centers, shortages of infection prevention and control supplies, and funding constraints.
The report also indicates that the overall contact tracing rate in the three affected provinces is only 50.3%, well below the established target of 95%.
Laboratory capacity also remains under strain, with 193 test results still pending due to a shortage of reagents in Kivu Province.
The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was officially declared by the DRC Ministry of Health on May 15.
Source: Xinhua
