KINSHASA, Congo (AP) 鈥� The number of confirmed in Congo has increased to 782, with 181 deaths, the Congolese Ministry of Health said in a statement on social platform X on Sunday evening.
However, the number of cases in Congo is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it is suspected to have begun, and the contact tracing coverage rate is at 56%, a sharp decrease from last week.
The latest is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the 鈥淶aire virus,鈥� which was responsible for most of Congo鈥檚 past 16 .
Fifty-six people have recovered, and the current fatality rate of the outbreak is 23%, the Ministry said.
The outbreak is concentrated in Congo鈥檚 eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of the cases. Cases have also been recorded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, and have spread across the border to Uganda.
Nearly a million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast province with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach.
Tracing is also difficult among the thousands of artisanal miners who regularly move between remote sites in the mineral-rich region.
from angry residents, skepticism among some locals, and in hot spots continue to challenge efforts to stop the outbreak.
Last month, U.S. officials said Washington intends to send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a rather than flying them back home. They said the center would be located at Laikipia Air Base with a capacity of 50 quarantine beds. The move led to over the plans to , which was later .
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