BUNIA, July 13 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that many Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo are still going undetected, with four out of every five new cases not linked to known patients.
WHO Emergencies Director Chikwe Ihekweazu said the pattern shows the virus is spreading in communities without being picked up through existing contact-tracing efforts, adding that modelling and test positivity rates suggest the outbreak could be two to four times larger than the official figures.
According to government data released on Thursday, the outbreak has infected 1,792 people and claimed 625 lives since it was declared in mid-May.
About 90% of reported cases are in Ituri province, especially in the health zones of Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu and Nyakunde, where transmission remains high. The virus has also spread to North Kivu, South Kivu and, more recently, Tshopo province.
In Bunia, a city of about one million people, around half of those tested for Ebola are confirmed positive, a sign that the virus is still spreading widely in the community.
Ihekweazu said early evidence suggests the Bundibugyo strain may cause milder symptoms than other Ebola strains. As a result, some families are caring for sick relatives at home before seeking medical treatment, allowing infected people to remain in the community longer and increasing the risk of further transmission.
Community deaths also remain a concern. An analysis of the first 400 Ebola deaths found that about 70% occurred outside treatment centres.
To strengthen surveillance, authorities have started training 21,000 community health workers to carry out house-to-house visits, identify suspected cases and encourage people with symptoms to seek medical care.
