Ebola has killed at least 1,657 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with confirmed cases climbing to 3,748, according to the latest update from the country's health authorities.
The Congolese Ministry of Communication said in a social media post that 690 patients are currently in isolation or hospitalized, and that 708 people have recovered since the epidemic began. The fatality rate stands at 44.2 percent, while contact tracing now covers 80.1 percent of cases, the ministry said.
Surveillance and treatment efforts
The ministry said surveillance, investigation and laboratory operations remain fully mobilized, with more than 1,000 alerts investigated and hundreds of samples analyzed in the past 24 hours.
Patient care continues despite pressure on some treatment centers in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the ministry said. It added that risk communication, community engagement, safe and dignified burials, and psychosocial support are ongoing to reinforce public adherence to prevention and response measures.
WHO warns outbreak is intensifying
The World Health Organization said in a statement over the weekend that the outbreak is intensifying, with sustained transmission and a continuous rise in reported cases and deaths.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine currently exists. It has already far surpassed the previously deadliest outbreak recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, declared between 2018 and 2020, which resulted in 3,317 confirmed cases.
