Eastern Congo Ebola Outbreak Reaches 1,003 Cases and 254 Deaths, With 100 Recoveries

Confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo reached 1,003 as of June 22, including 254 deaths, Congo’s Ministry of Health said. The outbreak, declared May 15, is concentrated in Ituri province, where 100 people have recovered. At least 365 patients are in hospitals or isolation, the ministry reported.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccines or treatments exist. Contact-tracing coverage stands at 55 percent. More than 35,000 contacts remained untraced as of last week, authorities said.

The index case has not been identified. Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya stated last week that officials lack confidence on when the outbreak started.

“If you want to control an outbreak, especially Ebola outbreak, you must know the index case,” he said. Ongoing violence by the Allied Democratic Force has hindered access to villages in Ituri province and displaced residents, the Associated Press reported.

At the Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia, which houses over 20,000 people, camp officials said 10 deaths occurred last week in unusual circumstances, though no Ebola cases have been confirmed there.

The U.N. refugee agency said at least 2 million displaced people, including over 320,000 refugees, live in areas at risk of Ebola in Congo.