The Democratic Republic of Congo reported on Wednesday that suspected Ebola cases had emerged in a new province, signalling the spread of the country’s ongoing outbreak as the death toll climbed to 600. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has infected 1,759 people across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, according to the government’s latest situation report.
But that case total does not include two cases in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province and one of Congo’s biggest cities, the situation report said.
Authorities Intensify Containment Efforts
One of the suspected cases has been linked to the Niania health zone in Ituri province, where the first infections in the current outbreak were recorded. The second case, however, “does not appear to have a geographic link” beyond Kisangani, suggesting the possibility of an undetected chain of transmission, the situation report said.
Officials said the positive test results are undergoing confirmatory laboratory testing before they are added to the official tally. In the meantime, response teams have intensified surveillance, contact tracing, community monitoring and other containment measures in Kisangani in an effort to prevent further spread.
Public health officials are also working to identify and monitor anyone who may have come into contact with the suspected patients.
WHO Warns Outbreak Still Expanding
Reuters reported last week that Congolese health authorities were tracing people potentially exposed to Ebola in two provinces not previously affected by the outbreak, Tshopo and Haut-Uele, highlighting concerns that the virus may already have spread beyond its original epicentre.
The latest government situation report, published late Wednesday, recorded 51 new cases and 20 additional deaths over the previous 24 hours.
The World Health Organization said this week that the outbreak had not yet stabilised and was still expanding as population movement fuelled transmission.
(With inputs from Reuters)
