DR Congo Ebola cases hit 782, including 178 deaths
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) report that the Ebola outbreak has intensified, with 782 confirmed cases and 178 deaths as the virus reaches more health zones, Qazinform News Agency learnt from Xinhua.
72 new infections and 29 deaths were recorded on June 14 in Ituri and North Kivu provinces.
The outbreak now affects 31 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with Nia-Nia and Mabalako newly impacted.
The outbreak, triggered by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, was declared on May 15.
As of Saturday, 359 patients are hospitalized or in isolation, while 40 have recovered.
136 suspected cases, including 49 deaths, were reported.
6,275 contacts were identified, but only 3,548 were followed up, a rate of 56.5%, far below the 95% target.
Among the key challenges are limited capacity in treatment centers, weak contact tracing and alert reporting and shortages of infection prevention materials in North Kivu.
As of June 9, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed 635 Ebola cases.
