DRC: Africa CDC Sounds Alarm as DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Turns Deadliest Yet

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya works in his office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

By Dominic Wabwireh with AP

Democratic Republic Of Congo

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spiralling out of control, with more than 1,700 deaths recorded in just 14 weeks and contact tracing failing to contain the virus.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the response was falling short, warning that contact tracing was no longer effectively containing the outbreak.

Speaking during a visit to Bunia on Tuesday, Kaseya said nearly 70% of new infections were emerging outside known contact lists, showing widespread community transmission and underscoring the need for a new strategy.

Fastest-growing outbreak on record

The outbreak has recorded 3,802 cases and 1,707 deaths since it was declared on May 15, making it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever documented.

Kaseya said it had already become the world's second-largest Ebola outbreak and, after just 14 weeks, had grown seven times faster than the 2014-2016 West African epidemic over the same period.

Treatment capacity expands

Kaseya and World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi visited Bunia to inaugurate a new Ebola treatment centre.

Janabi said daily laboratory testing had increased from around 30 samples to more than 2,000, while treatment capacity had expanded to about 1,000 beds. However, he stressed that the response remained insufficient as lives continued to be lost.

Conflict complicates response

Health officials say the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

Efforts to contain the virus have been hampered by the inability to identify the index case, insecurity linked to armed conflict, population displacement and illegal mining activities, all of which have complicated contact tracing.

More than 100 healthcare workers have been infected since the outbreak began, while the majority of cases remain concentrated in Ituri province, with infections also confirmed in five other provinces, including Kisangani.