Ebola Death Toll in Congo Reaches 600 as New Cases Suspected in Tshopo

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in Congo reached 600, the Congolese government said Thursday, as two new suspected cases appeared in Kisangani in Tshopo province. A government report published late Wednesday recorded 1,759 confirmed cases nationwide. One of the suspected cases in Tshopo was linked to the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province.

The second case showed no apparent geographical connection to known outbreak areas, and authorities were investigating. The Congolese authorities declared the outbreak on May 15. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Clinical trials for treatment began last week. The Africa Center for Disease Control stated on Thursday that the latest outbreak is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on the continent. Anne Ancia, WHO’s representative in Congo, stated that the virus continues to spread due to population movements and insecurity, and that some treatment centres are at near-full capacity.

Biensi Kano, a member of the epidemiological surveillance committee in Bunia, stated that healthcare workers in Ituri have not been paid since the outbreak was declared. Akilimali Pierre, incident manager at Congo’s National Institute of Public Health, stated that the closure of Bunia airport is hampering the flow of funds and contributing to delays in payment of healthcare workers.

Response teams have begun strengthening surveillance and contact tracing in Kisangani.