Ebola outbreak is ‘fastest growing ever’ as 600 die in DR Congo
The number of cases is doubling every 28 days, health authorities say, warning that the virus is moving faster than the response
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is the “fastest growing” ever, African health authorities said on Thursday, as the World Health Organization said the disease had killed 600 people.
Updated numbers issued by the UN health agency showed there have been 1,759 confirmed cases in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, including 600 confirmed deaths.
“This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak ever, not only among the previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, but all the different viruses that are causing Ebola,” Wessam Mankoula, head of emergency preparedness and response for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told reporters.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak – in 2013-16 in West Africa – had 994 cases in the first six weeks, compared to 1,596 in the current one, he said.
“Unfortunately the virus is still ahead of our response. It’s moving faster than deploying the resources to control the situation,” Mankoula said, adding that the number of cases was estimated to be doubling every 28 days.
He said US$1.4 billion was needed in total for the disease and humanitarian response.