WHO: Actual extent of Ebola outbreak in DR Congo four times official data

Geneva, July 10 /QNA/ The World Health Organization has confirmed that the actual extent of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be two to four times larger than official data.

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, director of emergencies at WHO, said that four out of five new Ebola infections in areas of DR Congo are not linked to known cases, warning that the actual extent of the outbreak may be larger.

Ihekweazu added in press statements that 80 percent of newly confirmed patients are not on the lists of known contacts in the outbreak hotspot of Bunia in Ituri province.

He explained that almost all new cases in areas with lower infection numbers, such as North Kivu province, come from contact lists, which indicates some progress in containment efforts.

He noted that WHO estimates, based on mathematical models and test positivity rates, indicate that the outbreak, declared in mid-May, may be two to four times larger than the number of confirmed cases, adding that about 90 percent of all reported cases remain concentrated in Ituri province.

Ihekweazu said that about half of the patients tested for Ebola in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province with a population of about one million, tested positive, indicating widespread and ongoing community transmission.

Government data in the Congo has confirmed that Ebola has so far infected about 1,792 people and killed 625 others.