<\/p>\n
WHO Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations Director Dr Abdirahman Mahamud said the increase in cases reflects strengthened detection efforts rather than a worsening spread. As of June 8, authorities had recorded 550 confirmed cases and 101 deaths in the DRC, while 19 patients had recovered following early diagnosis and treatment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, remains concentrated in Ituri province, which accounts for the vast majority of infections. However, the disease has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, where authorities have confirmed 19 cases and two deaths, though no community transmission has been detected there so far.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mahamud said significant progress has been made in expanding testing capacity, with decentralised laboratory networks allowing faster analysis of samples. Several new testing facilities have been established, including a fully operational laboratory in Mongbwalu, while additional mobile and field laboratories are helping to bring diagnostic services closer to affected communities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Contact tracing has also been intensified, with more than 5 000 contacts identified across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Around 62% of those contacts are currently being monitored, with health officials aiming to reach a follow-up rate of 90% to 95% in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mahamud said the improved response is built on stronger coordination between surveillance systems, laboratories and treatment centres, supported by more effective data sharing. Mahamud noted that early detection and referral remain critical in improving survival rates, with local healthcare workers playing a central role in identifying suspected cases.<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":36601,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-36600","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"A large-scale expansion of testing and contact tracing is helping to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said, even as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise.","published_date":"","news_description":"A large-scale expansion of testing and contact tracing is helping to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said, even as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36602,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/36600\/revisions\/36602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=36600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}