The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Government has confirmed that 1,521 people have died from the latest Ebola outbreak, as the number of laboratory-confirmed infections climbed to 3,442.
The government announced the latest figures on Thursday, revealing that the outbreak continues to spread rapidly across affected communities.
Official data showed that the outbreak has recorded a 44 per cent fatality rate, indicating that nearly half of all confirmed Ebola cases have resulted in death.
Health experts, however, warned that the actual number of infections could be significantly higher, as many cases are believed to have gone undetected and unreported.
According to experts, the virus may have been circulating for several months before health authorities officially detected the outbreak in mid-May.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has described the epidemic as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.
“This is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak of all time. In West Africa, it took eight months for 1,000 people to die,” Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the WFP, said on Wednesday.
Skau recalled that more than 11,000 people died during the 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, while about 2,300 people lost their lives in the second-deadliest outbreak recorded in eastern DR Congo between 2018 and 2020.
Health authorities reiterated that Ebola is a highly contagious and life-threatening disease transmitted through direct physical contact, particularly through the bodily fluids of infected persons.
They urged communities to remain vigilant, comply with public health measures and report suspected cases promptly to help contain the outbreak.
source: NAN
