Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo spreads to 2 new health zones with total of 60 areas now affected

Bunia, Congo - The rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has now reached two additional health zones, bringing the total number of affected areas to 60, according to the latest government data released on Friday. The newly impacted zones are Biena and Manguredjipa, both located in Congo's North Kivu province. The case fatality rate in these two zones is significantly higher than the overall rate of 48%, largely due to delayed response efforts.

As of the latest figures, the outbreak has recorded a total of 5,794 confirmed cases, with 2,786 deaths. The virus appears to be spreading at an unprecedented pace, outpacing the efforts to track and contain it. The outbreak is occurring under challenging circumstances, exacerbated by ongoing insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike, and significant population movements.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the outbreak remains uncontrolled and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which was the deadliest on record, claiming over 11,000 lives primarily in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. On Thursday, the Congolese government began vaccinating health workers and other personnel as part of their response to the rapidly escalating crisis.