Ebola 'rapidly spreading' in DR Congo as death toll tops 1,500

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "spreading rapidly," threatening to outpace the country’s response, health authorities warned Thursday as the death toll surpassed 1,500.

A Health Ministry update showed a surge in new cases, with the number of infections doubling every 20 days since the outbreak declaration in mid-May.

The data showed confirmed cases to date have risen to more than 3,440.

Over the past two months, 1,000 people have died, with the case fatality rate now standing at 44.2%.

“The spread of the virus requires increased mobilization and adaptation of response strategies. The major focus should be to cut the chains of transmission as soon as they appear,” De-Joseph Kakisingi, a physician, told reporters in the capital Kinshasa.

“The response must be faster than Ebola. This is not just a question of logistics or medical intervention. It is mainly a question of strategy because the virus does not start spreading in a laboratory or in a treatment center. It begins in a family, in a neighborhood, in a community.”

The virus has affected five provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo.

The epidemic has now spread to nearly 50 health zones, after a new zone was affected in the Tshopo province.

Community resistance still a challenge

More than two months after the Ebola outbreak, community resistance, rumors, and difficulties related to the organization of safe burials still undermine efforts aimed at containing the virus, according to health authorities.

Unidentified men burned two health facilities in Butembo, North Kivu earlier this week amid rumors accusing health officials of colluding with Ebola response teams to falsely declare their patients infected, according to local media.

The World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday warned that food insecurity could also affect Ebola containment.

The outbreak is unfolding in a complex humanitarian environment marked by conflict, displacement, limited access to basic services, and an ongoing health workers strike, it noted.

The WFP said in a statement that without urgent, flexible support, families may be forced to choose between complying with public health measures and finding food, undermining containment and deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.

“Ebola feeds on delay, fear, and hunger,” said Carl Skau, the WFP’s acting executive director.

More than 2.65 million people in the Ebola-affected health zones face acute food insecurity, according to the WFP.