Ebola spreads to two new zones in DRC; 60 areas now affected

What the report says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has expanded into two more health zones in North Kivu province, Biena and Manguredjipa, bringing the total number of affected areas to 60, Al Jazeera reported on Friday, citing the country’s Ministry of Health and AFP. The outbreak, which began in mid-May in eastern DRC, is being described by officials and aid agencies as the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever recorded in the country.

According to the figures cited by the outlet, the DRC has logged 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths. The ministry said the fatality rate in some of the newly affected areas is higher than the overall rate of 48 percent, with delays in response cited as one contributing factor. Beni, another heavily affected area in North Kivu, has reported 122 confirmed cases and 87 deaths, reflecting a particularly high death rate.

Al Jazeera reported that containment efforts are being complicated by armed conflict, displacement, attacks on health workers and facilities, mobile populations, and weak infrastructure. Aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it opened a new treatment center in Beni to speed up care, contact tracing, and support for local health authorities.

The report said there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain involved in this outbreak, so responders are relying mainly on isolation, contact tracing, and rapid treatment. The situation is significant because officials warn it could surpass the deadly 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic if transmission is not brought under control.