The Ebola outbreak in Congo is spreading faster than ever

GENEVA, April 1 (Reuters) – The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at its fastest pace, eight months after its discovery, the World Health Organization said on Monday (WHO).

Each of the last two weeks has seen a record number of new cases, marking a distinct setback for efforts to address the second-largest epidemic ever recorded, with militia violence and community resistance hampering the violence. access to affected areas.

Less than three weeks ago, the WHO said the outbreak of hemorrhagic fever was largely under control and could be halted in September, pointing out that the number of weekly cases had been halved compared to the beginning from year to year around 25.

But the number of cases reached a record of 57 the following week, then 72 last week, said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier. Previous peaks of about 50 cases per week were documented in late January and mid-November.

More alarmingly, about three-quarters of Ebola deaths last week occurred outside treatment centers, according to data from the Congo Ministry of Health, which means that there are many more chances that they transmit the virus to those around them.

"People are infected without access to intervention measures," Lindmeier told Reuters.

The current epidemic has reportedly killed 676 people and infected 406 others. 331 other patients recovered.

In the past two months, five Ebola centers have been attacked, some by armed militia. Doctors Without Borders (MSF), a French medical charity, has suspended activities in two of the most affected areas.

Another challenge was the distrust of first responders. A study conducted last September by the medical journal The Lancet revealed that a quarter of people sampled in two hot spots for Ebola did not think the disease was real.

Lindmeier said the new approaches to community outreach showed signs of progress and some previously hostile local residents had recently agreed to grant access to health workers.

A treatment center that closed in February after being set on fire by unknown people reopened last week.

More than 11,000 people died during the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Since then, health authorities have worked to speed up their responses and have rolled out an experimental vaccine and treatments, both of which have been found effective.

(Report by Stephanie Nebehay written by Aaron Ross edited by Mark Heinrich)

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