Congo’s Ebola outbreak has crossed the 11,000-case mark, the government reported Wednesday, underscoring the scale of the country’s worst recorded health crisis as transmission continues.
The latest figures from the Health Ministry show that 11,042 people have contracted the deadly virus, while 5,387 have died. The fatalities represent nearly half of all recorded infections.
Authorities declared the outbreak in mid-May, but efforts to bring it under control have been hampered by armed conflict, a strained health system, damaged and inadequate roads, and violence driven by public mistrust and misinformation.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no known vaccine or treatment. It has reached eight of Congo’s 26 provinces.
Renewed fighting in the two principal hotspots, Ituri and North Kivu, has intensified concern among health officials. They have urged combatants to stop the violence so medical teams can reach patients without obstruction.
Health facilities and medical workers have also faced attacks from communities skeptical of the outbreak. Several health workers have been targeted as fear and misinformation continue to complicate the response.
Experts are pressing for stronger measures to curb the spread in Congo, where the virus has also been linked to cases in other African countries, including Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
The disease has caused dozens of outbreaks since it was first identified in 1976. The largest and deadliest struck West Africa between 2014 and 2016, infecting 28,000 people and killing more than 11,000.
Congo’s current outbreak is already the second-largest on record. In the period since its declaration, it has recorded at least three times as many cases and deaths as the West African outbreak did over a comparable period.
