DR Congo Ebola cases near 900 as health officials warn of continued spread

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's latest Ebola outbreak has expanded to 896 confirmed cases, including 232 deaths, prompting fresh warnings from health authorities over sustained community transmission and the risk of further geographical spread.

According to the country's Ministry of Public Health, 21 new confirmed infections and six additional deaths were recorded on Wednesday in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. The outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has now affected 33 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

Health officials said 383 patients were currently either in isolation or receiving treatment in hospital, while 78 people have recovered from the disease. Eleven patients were newly declared recovered after returning negative results in follow-up tests.

Authorities also reported 151 suspected cases on Wednesday, including 35 deaths. Efforts to trace and monitor contacts remain ongoing, with 6,367 individuals identified for follow-up across the affected regions. Of these, 4,525 were successfully reached during the latest reporting period, representing a monitoring rate of 71.1 per cent.

The health ministry noted that the number of confirmed cases has continued to rise week after week, highlighting ongoing transmission within communities. Officials cautioned that the outbreak could spread rapidly to new areas if containment measures are not strengthened and implemented swiftly.

The current epidemic, officially declared on 15 May, is the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 17th recorded Ebola outbreak.

Ebola was first identified in 1976 during simultaneous outbreaks in what are now South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease takes its name from the Ebola River, located near the Congolese village where one of the first outbreaks was detected.

The viral disease typically begins with symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash and, in severe cases, impaired kidney and liver function. Health authorities continue to urge medical workers and communities to remain vigilant for symptoms as efforts to contain the outbreak intensify.

With IANS inputs