Updated
Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Sep 14
DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Reaches 7,200 Cases as Officials Say August Peak Has Passed
Updated
Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Sep 14

DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Reaches 7,200 Cases as Officials Say August Peak Has Passed

3 articles · Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Sep 14

Summary

  • 7,200 Ebola cases and 3,475 deaths have now been confirmed in DR Congo, with officials saying transmission likely peaked in the third week of August.
  • South Ubangi became the seventh affected province late last week, showing the Bundibugyo-strain outbreak is still spreading geographically even as major hotspots slow.
  • 88% contact tracing remains below the level needed to control transmission, a key reason the outbreak continues despite signs of easing in Nia Nia, Nizi and Mongbwalu.
  • 10 of 61 health zones have gone at least 21 days without a case, offering the clearest evidence yet that the epidemic may be moving past its worst phase.

Insights

With cases dropping in hotspots, why is this untreatable Ebola strain suddenly expanding into new border provinces?
As the largest outbreak in history spreads, can experimental trials stop a rare Ebola strain with no known cure?
Could the missing 12 percent in contact tracing trigger a massive, undetected second wave of this deadly virus?