News Investigators/ The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 6,757 confirmed Ebola disease cases caused by Bundibugyo virus, including 3,267 deaths, as of Sept. 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.
The WHO, which said this in a statement, said the figures represented a crude Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of 48.3 per cent, underscoring the outbreak’s severity and continuing challenges.
The agency said the outbreak had expanded to Kayna Health Zone in North Kivu, bringing the total number of affected health zones to 61 across six of the country’s 26 provinces.
The affected provinces are Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo, according to the latest outbreak situation update, the statement said, underscoring the outbreak’s broad geographical spread and reach.
According to the statement, transmission patterns remain variable, with evidence of continued geographical expansion and sustained increases in cases across some affected health zones amid ongoing response efforts and concerns nationally.
It said the persistently high CFR underscored challenges including delayed case detection, limited access to early treatment and difficulties in interrupting transmission, particularly in affected communities and health facilities settings.
The statement said delayed detection continued to increase the risk of further Ebola transmission within households, communities and healthcare settings, requiring strengthened surveillance, rapid response measures and early treatment nationwide.
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