The Democratic Republic of Congo is now facing its deadliest Ebola epidemic on record after case numbers crossed the 7,000 mark.
According to data released by Congolese health authorities, the country has registered 7,022 confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo virus.
Out of that total, 3,398 people have died and another 837 patients are currently in isolation, receiving treatment in Ebola treatment centers across the country.
Vaccination campaigns and contact tracing are ongoing, but officials say containing the 837 active cases will require more resources and support to reach communities in hard-to-access areas.
This outbreak was officially declared in mid-May after cases were detected in DR Congo’s Ituri province in the northeast.
According to reports, health teams believe the virus was already spreading for several weeks before detection because of limited surveillance in remote areas.
Since May, the outbreak has expanded to 7 provinces and the most recent province affected is South-Ubangi in the northwest, which borders the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville.
The majority of infections are still concentrated in Ituri and authorities have also recorded cases in schools in Ituri following the reopening after the summer break, which has raised concern among health workers and communities.
