Ebola death toll in DRC surges to at least 930 as outbreak continues spread

The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to at least 930 and the virus appears to be spreading faster.

The health ministry said on Monday that the number of confirmed cases had reached at least 2,344. That is total confirmed total as of Saturday with 37 deaths recorded in just 24 hours from Friday – one of the highest daily increases recorded since the Ebola outbreak was first declared in the DRC on May 15.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned last week that Ebola is spreading in the DRC faster than in any previous outbreak.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC in 2018-2020 “took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases”. This time, it took only two months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, and the ⁠⁠WHO said the ⁠⁠true tally could be at least double that.

“It is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record,” Tedros said. “In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak.”

The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak was first detected after several deaths in Ituri, the mineral-rich northeastern province patrolled by several armed groups.

Cases of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, have so far been found in five DRC provinces and in neighbouring Uganda. But while Uganda is now close to being “virus-free”, Tedros said, Ebola is spreading at an unprecedented rate in the DRC.

To compound problems in Ituri, where the death toll is growing fastest, healthcare workers began a strike last week and blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital. Staff complained of not receiving any compensation for their work since the outbreak began, despite treating patients in difficult and dangerous conditions.

Tedros highlighted that more than 80 percent of new cases were being detected “outside known contact lists, showing that transmission chains are still being missed”.

The health ministry said in its latest update that 724 patients are currently in isolation in hospitals and it is intensifying response efforts in affected areas.

“Patient care and support capacities are consolidating, with 22 new recoveries recorded in 24 hours,” the ministry said.