DRC Ebola Cases Climb To 550 As Outbreak Spreads To Uganda

KINSHASA, June 9 (Bernama-Xinhua) — The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 550, including 101 deaths, with health authorities warning that the outbreak continues to trend upward, reported Xinhua.

According to an update released on Monday, 35 new confirmed cases, including 10 deaths, were recorded on Sunday in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Seven additional patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 19.

The outbreak remains on an upward weekly trend, and the recent slight decline shown in the epidemic curve may reflect delayed laboratory reporting rather than a genuine slowdown in transmission, it said.

As of Sunday, 309 people were isolated or hospitalised, including 116 confirmed cases and 193 suspected cases.

The contact follow-up rate in the three affected provinces rose to 64.4 per cent, with 5,418 contacts under follow-up and 3,489 already seen. However, the rate remains well below the 95 per cent target.

Laboratory capacity remains under pressure in North Kivu, with 183 test results pending due to a shortage of reagents.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC is expanding rapidly, with rising case numbers, wider geographic spread and cross-border transmission into Uganda.

In its latest update, the WHO assessed the risk as very high for the DRC, high for Uganda and neighbouring countries sharing land borders with affected areas, and low for the rest of the African region and globally.

Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and one probable fatal case. All cases in Uganda remain epidemiologically linked to the outbreak in the DRC, with evidence of both imported infections and secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers.

National authorities, working with the WHO and partners, are implementing a range of response measures. On June 5, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO launched a joint continental Ebola preparedness and response plan, seeking US$518 million to support African countries in preparedness, detection and response efforts.

The outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a severe and often fatal form of Ebola disease. The virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and can spread through close contact with the blood or secretions of infected animals, or the bodily fluids of infected people. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, and infected individuals are not contagious until symptoms appear.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA