Ebola transmission remains active across much of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest situation report released on Wednesday, October 21, with more than 9,600 confirmed cases and 4,646 deaths recorded since the outbreak began in May.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa said the outbreak remains active in 50 of the 66 affected health zones — 75.8 per cent of the total — and that those areas reported at least one new confirmed infection over the past 21 days. The agency also noted a slight increase in the seven-day moving average of new cases, raising concern that transmission could intensify.

Source: WHO via The Chronicle (Anadolu)

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is still neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment, the WHO has confirmed. It has spread across eight Congolese provinces — Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, South-Ubangi and North Ubangi — with Ituri alone accounting for 72.7 per cent of all confirmed cases.

The virus has also crossed Congo's borders. Kenya reported another confirmed infection on Tuesday, bringing its total to nine cases, while Nigeria confirmed an infection in its capital, Abuja. Nigerian officials said on Wednesday that testing showed the Abuja case matches the Bundibugyo strain, and that 44 contacts are being monitored, according to AFP reporting.

Source: AFP via Medical Xpress

The WHO warned that worsening insecurity, population displacement and limited humanitarian access in affected parts of Congo are making disease surveillance and emergency response harder. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for stronger international cooperation, and its director-general Jean Kaseya said: 'Ebola is crossing borders. Our response must move faster, with stronger coordination, greater solidarity and decisive political leadership.'

Africa CDC is scheduled to convene a high-level virtual meeting of African health ministers on October 28 to review the outbreak, strengthen cross-border coordination and speed up assistance to affected countries.