Photo courtesy of Anadolu
The Democratic Republic of Congo is stepping up efforts to contain a rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 2,800 people and spread to dozens of health zones since May.
A vaccination campaign targeting health workers and other frontline personnel was launched last week as authorities sought to slow transmission across six affected provinces.
The World Health Organization said the Bundibugyo strain involved in the outbreak continued to evolve rapidly, with transmission remaining sustained.
WHO said the increase in infections and the virus’ geographic expansion over the past three months represented a substantial escalation in the outbreak.
Government figures released Sunday showed 5,945 confirmed infections across 60 health zones in Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele and Tshopo.
At least 1,327 patients have recovered, while 896 confirmed cases remain hospitalized or in isolation, according to the Health Ministry.
Health workers have also emphasized community participation as authorities try to identify infections quickly and trace people who may have been exposed.
Richard Kitenge, a doctor involved in the response, said containing the outbreak would depend heavily on residents following preventive measures, cooperating with response teams and promptly reporting people who become sick.
