Ebola Cases in DR Congo Surpass 2,000; Death Toll Doubles in Two Weeks

The cumulative number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has surpassed 2,000.

According to the DRC Ministry of Health and Communications on July 15 (local time), the cumulative number of confirmed Ebola cases reached 2,011 as of July 13.

The death toll stands at 754, with 52 additional deaths reported over the past two days.

Compared to the 377 deaths recorded as of June 28, the number of fatalities has exactly doubled in two weeks.

The fatality rate has risen from 32% a week ago to 37.5%.

The DRC government stated that 366 people have been declared recovered, while the contact tracing rate for those who had contact with confirmed patients has dropped to 67.4%.

Even this figure has raised concerns from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which previously stated that the actual contact tracing rate is far lower.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the virus continues to spread as many infected individuals remain in the community without reaching medical facilities.

Bloomberg reported that Chikwe Ihekweazu, a lead official for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said in a previous press conference that the actual scale of the outbreak could be at least 2 to 4 times higher than official statistics.

He also explained that because 80% of new infections are occurring outside the list of contacts managed by health authorities, official statistics do not fully reflect the actual situation.

The WHO analyzed that the increase in the fatality rate is due to delays in diagnosis, isolation, and access to treatment, even as the number of severe cases grows.

Among 430 confirmed deaths analyzed by the WHO, approximately 92% were found to have died before even reaching a treatment facility.

Ihekweazu emphasized, "We must find patients faster and move them to treatment facilities to reduce community transmission."

However, the lack of treatment facilities to accommodate patients is also being pointed out as a problem.

The isolation facility in North Kivu Province is reportedly operating at over 120% capacity, and the treatment center in Bunia, Ituri Province—the epicenter of the outbreak—is also said to be nearly full.

Some treatment centers are also on strike due to unpaid wages.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing a White House official, that the U.S. government began prohibiting U.S. citizens currently in the DRC from boarding commercial flights to the United States starting July 13.

The official, who requested anonymity, explained that U.S. citizens who are currently in or have recently left the DRC will be placed on a no-fly list until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country.

The official added that about 24 U.S. citizens who were scheduled to board flights to the U.S. on July 14 were also subject to the new regulation, and the State Department plans to provide necessary support while they wait in third countries.

The U.S. government previously issued an order banning the entry of foreigners who had been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of their arrival for the purpose of preventing the spread of Ebola, but this is the first time it has been known that such travel restrictions have been implemented against its own citizens.

Previously, two Americans who were infected with Ebola while performing humanitarian work in the DRC were both treated in Germany.

The U.S. is also building a dedicated isolation facility for Americans in Kenya to treat U.S. citizens confirmed to have Ebola.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.