Weak contact tracing persists as Ebola cases surpass 10,000 in DR Congo

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Early detection and contact tracing remain weak, helping push new Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said Tuesday, as the number of confirmed cases crossed the 10,000 mark, including nearly 5,000 deaths.

Confirmed cases have reached 10,060, including 4,887 deaths since the current outbreak was declared in May, Health Ministry data showed.

The fatality rate stood at 48.6% in what has now become the world's second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded.

Authorities said only about 12% of confirmed cases in Congo have been identified among previously known contacts, meaning some chains of transmission remain undetected.

The disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain has affected eight provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, South-Ubangi and North Ubangi.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Africa region office said sustained efforts are essential to end the outbreak.

“This requires continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach that builds trust and encourages people to engage with the response,” it wrote on US social media company X.

The WHO said in a report last week that of the 66 health zones affected, 50 or 75.8% reported at least one new confirmed case during the most recent 21 days.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is due to convene a high-level virtual meeting of African Ministers of Health on Wednesday to assess the situation, strengthen coordination across borders, accelerate support to affected countries and reinforce preparedness throughout the continent.

Uganda, France, Kenya, and Nigeria have reported cases linked to the outbreak in Congo since May.