The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached a critical stage, with 4,035 confirmed cases and 1,850 deaths reported across 51 health zones in five provinces. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain and has spread rapidly across eastern DRC.
Traditional Contact Tracing Falls Behind
Meanwhile, health authorities say traditional contact tracing can no longer keep pace with transmission. Officials currently monitor only about 17,000 contacts, while more than 160,000 should ideally be under surveillance based on the number of confirmed cases.
As per China Daily, the outbreak has recorded nearly nine times more confirmed cases and six times more deaths in 12 weeks than the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak recorded over a comparable period.
Community-Based Response Begins
Therefore, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the DRC government are shifting to active community-based case finding. Tens of thousands of health workers will conduct door-to-door visits, identify suspected cases, encourage early testing and support isolation and referrals.
In addition, health workers will receive mobile phones and digital tools, while authorities plan to improve internet connectivity in remote areas to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting.
Vaccine and Further Research
Officials said the Ebola vaccine has already received approval from major international regulators and the World Health Organization. Researchers are now studying how effectively it protects against the circulating strain.
However, WHO officials have warned that the outbreak is outpacing the current response and called for greater international support. Researchers are also examining whether factors such as possible viral mutations could be contributing to the outbreak’s severity, although no link has been established so far.