Congo reports record one-day increase in Ebola cases, a month after outbreak’s declaration
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese officials report one of the highest increases Ebola cases Poor contact tracing, distrust and funding gaps continue to hinder the response a month after the outbreak was declared.
Congo’s Ministry of Health said on Sunday that 72 new cases were reported in a 24-hour period, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 782. This includes 181 confirmed deaths after 32 new deaths were confirmed.
However, the number of cases in Congo is believed to be higher because outbreak confirmed It’s May 15, weeks after it was suspected to have begun, and contact tracing coverage is at 56%, a sharp drop from last week.
Latest Ebola epidemic It is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the Zaire virus, which has been responsible for most of the past 16 outbreaks in Congo. outbreaks of disease.
The ministry said 56 people have recovered and the current death rate of the epidemic is 23%.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that testing and contact tracing and treatment had been intensified.
Africa’s top health agency said on the same day that it was deploying technical expertise and supporting laboratory systems to speed up the response to the disease outbreak, while maintaining active case-finding and community engagement efforts.
“We remain committed to supporting affected countries until transmission is halted. We call on partners and donors to urgently mobilize resources to strengthen the response and save lives,” said Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or Africa CDC.
The outbreak is concentrated in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of cases. Cases were also recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and spread across the border into Uganda.
According to the UN humanitarian office, nearly one million people have been displaced by the conflict in Ituri; This makes contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast state, which has dense forests, rough roads and remote villages that can take days to reach.
It is also difficult to find traces among the thousands of artisanal miners who regularly move between remote areas in the mineral-rich region.
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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.
