The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has crossed a grim milestone, with confirmed infections surpassing 1,000 cases as health authorities race to contain what experts fear could become one of the most serious Ebola crises in recent years.
The Congolese government said late Sunday that confirmed cases had risen to 1,003, including 254 deaths, up sharply from 956 cases and 247 deaths reported a day earlier.
The latest figures shows the rapid pace of transmission in eastern Congo, where conflict, mass displacement and weak healthcare infrastructure are complicating efforts to stop the virus.
More worrying for health officials is the growing belief that the real number of infections may be significantly higher than current data suggests.
Authorities are still struggling to trace tens of thousands of potential contacts linked to infected patients, while insecurity in some affected communities continues to limit access for health workers. The outbreak has already spread across multiple provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
