▲ A visitor has their temperature checked at a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an Ebola outbreak has been confirmed.
One month after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15, the cumulative number of confirmed cases has surpassed 800, with the death toll exceeding 180.
While the virus has not yet spread to countries other than the DRC and Uganda, confirmed cases and deaths are surging in the DRC, particularly in the northeastern region where the outbreak originated.
According to the DRC Ministry of Communication and Media on June 15 (local time), the cumulative number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country stood at 782 as of June 13.
This marks an increase of 72 cases from the previous day, the highest single-day rise recorded to date.
The number of health administrative districts reporting cases has also increased by one in both Ituri and North Kivu provinces—the epicenters of the outbreak—bringing the total to 31 districts across three provinces.
The cumulative death toll reached 181, an increase of 32 from the day before.
This also represents the highest number of deaths recorded in a single day.
Consequently, the fatality rate has risen to 23.1 percent.
This is approaching the 30 to 50 percent fatality rate known for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus currently in circulation.
As the number of confirmed cases grows, the contact tracing rate has declined to 56.5 percent.
The number of recovered patients has increased to 56.
The Ugandan government stated that it has recorded no additional cases within its borders for 10 days since June 4, when it reported a cumulative total of 19 confirmed cases and 2 deaths.
The Ebola strain currently spreading in these countries is the Bundibugyo strain, not the Zaire strain, which is the most well-known type of Ebola virus.
First discovered during an Ebola outbreak in Bundibugyo, Uganda, in 2007–2008, this is the third such outbreak; however, unlike the Zaire strain, no vaccine or treatment has yet been developed.
Early in this outbreak, a lack of diagnostic equipment for the Bundibugyo strain has made it difficult to identify confirmed cases.
According to AFP, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned in a statement that day that "a month has passed, but the Ebola response efforts are failing to keep pace with the speed of the spread," suggesting that the actual number of cases is likely much higher than reported.
Another issue raised is that many of the affected areas in the DRC are regions where rebel groups are active, hindering timely diagnosis, treatment, and other response measures.
Over the past 50 years, 15,000 people have died from Ebola in Africa.
An Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 claimed 11,000 lives, and an outbreak in the DRC from 2018 to 2020 resulted in 2,300 deaths.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.