The number of confirmed Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 1,000, the country's Ministry of Health announced on Sunday (September 15). Since the outbreak began on May 15 in Ituri province, 1,003 people have been infected and 254 have died. While 100 patients have recovered, at least 365 are undergoing treatment or in quarantine.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment. According to officials, many cases may remain undetected, and the peak of the epidemic is still ahead. Contact tracing has reached only about 55% of people who may have been exposed, leaving significant gaps in the response.
Violence is hampering access to affected communities. Attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group linked to ISIL in Ituri, have cut off villages and forced thousands to flee into overcrowded camps. At the Kigonze camp near Bunia, where more than 20,000 people are sheltering, 10 unexplained deaths were recorded last week, though no Ebola cases have been confirmed there.
"If a disease spreads among the thousands living here, it would be a real catastrophe because living conditions are already terrible," warned Charite Banza, a civil society leader in Ituri.
