Ebola spreading faster in Congo than it can be tracked
Eighty percent of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, a sign the outbreak is spreading faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response.
Congo has been battling an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola since May, with no approved treatment or vaccine. The Africa Centers for Disease Control says it is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on the continent.
“Perhaps the most alarming finding is that many of the newly reported deaths are people who died in their communities without ever reaching a health facility and without receiving care,” Chikwe Ihekweazu said after returning from Bunia, in Ituri province, one of the worst-hit cities.
“And as of today, 80 percent of new cases are outside our contact lists and so are coming to us from unknown chains of transmission.”
