Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that the Ebola outbreak in the country’s east has surpassed 1,000 recorded cases, with officials warning that containment efforts are still struggling to keep pace with the spread of the virus.
According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 1,003 cases and 254 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15, with the majority of infections concentrated in Ituri province.
The Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which is responsible for the outbreak and currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, has been described by officials as highly challenging to control in its early stages.
Health data shows that 100 patients have recovered, while 365 others remain hospitalised or in isolation centres across affected areas.
Authorities say contact tracing remains one of the biggest obstacles to containing the outbreak, with coverage currently estimated at just 55 percent. More than 35,000 contacts linked to infected individuals are still being tracked.
Officials have also acknowledged that the true scale of the outbreak may be higher than reported, citing gaps in surveillance and ongoing insecurity in affected regions.
Efforts to trace the origin of the outbreak have yet to identify the index case, raising concerns about how long the virus may have been circulating before detection.
Public health response teams are operating in a difficult environment, as eastern DR Congo continues to experience armed conflict involving groups such as the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has disrupted access to several communities.
The instability has forced many residents to flee into overcrowded camps or move frequently, further complicating disease surveillance and response efforts.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya has warned that limited knowledge of the outbreak’s origin is hampering control efforts, stressing that identifying the initial case is critical to stopping transmission.
Health workers have also faced resistance in some communities, with anger over containment measures occasionally leading to attacks on medical facilities.
In one early incident, a hospital in Rwampara was set on fire by protesters who opposed restrictions on burial practices for Ebola victims, highlighting the tensions between public health measures and community beliefs.
Officials say the outbreak continues to outpace response capacity, with fears that the peak of infections may still lie ahead.
