Kinshasa, Oct 1 (IANS) The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned Thursday that a recent decline in reported Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) may reflect disruptions to disease surveillance rather than a sustained reduction in transmission, as the outbreak has claimed nearly 4,000 lives.
Speaking at an online press briefing, Africa CDC official Wessam Mankoula said that the outbreak has spread from three health zones in mid-May to 63 health zones across seven provinces, with 45 health zones still reporting active transmission.
Although the epidemic curve has largely plateaued over the past four to five weeks and reported cases declined in the latest week, the agency cautioned against interpreting the drop as a sign of sustained progress, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“Falling in this curve doesn’t mean that the outbreak is totally under control,” Mankoula said.
Insecurity and community resistance in multiple areas have hampered surveillance and response activities, raising concerns that some infections may be going undetected.
The warning comes amid growing security concerns in eastern DRC. In Butembo, North Kivu Province, a local ruling-party official was beaten to death following a radio appearance on Sunday, with his party linking the attack to his public support for Ebola prevention efforts. In neighbouring Beni territory, an armed attack on a checkpoint also used by Ebola response teams left at least one person dead and several others injured on Saturday, according to local reports.
Meanwhile, in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province, a doctor died of Ebola on Sept. 24, raising concerns about infections among healthcare workers. Provincial Health Minister Simon Bokongo said Tuesday that the hospital where the doctor worked had been temporarily closed for 21 days after more than 10 staff members tested positive, with over 123 contacts identified.
The outbreak is also following divergent trends across affected provinces. Over the latest three-week period, reported cases in Ituri Province, the longtime epicentre, declined by about 32 per cent compared with the preceding three weeks, while North Kivu Province continued to record an increase.
Contact tracing remains another major weakness. Mankoula said an average of about 14 contacts are now identified per confirmed case, still far below the expected level of around 60. Only about 23 per cent of estimated contacts are being followed up, while nearly 80 per cent of new cases are detected outside known contact lists.
“This is also one of the reasons… we cannot confidently say the outbreak is under control at this stage,” the official said.
The country had recorded 8,224 confirmed cases, including 3,982 deaths, as of Sept. 29, with an overall case fatality rate of 48.4 per cent, according to the latest situation report from the DRC’s health authorities.
“This outbreak cannot be controlled without building community trust,” the official stressed, calling for secure access to affected communities and stronger local engagement to contain transmission.
–IANS
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