WHO says Ebola outbreak in Congo exceeds 1,000 cases in 1st month

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases in its first month, making it "the largest" Ebola epidemic in the country's history at that stage of an outbreak, a World Health Organization (WHO) official told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.

As of Monday, Congo had recorded 1,048 confirmed cases, including 267 deaths, according to the country's Health Ministry, said Abdi Mahamud, WHO's director of health emergency alert and response operations.

"Since I last briefed you on 9 June from Bunia, the outbreak continues to expand," Mahamud said.

Following a month-long mission in Congo, Mahamud said transmission patterns vary across affected health zones, with some areas seeing stable trends, while others are experiencing sharp increases in cases.

He said the response is expanding to match the growing outbreak. Treatment capacity has increased from only a handful of beds to more than 500 beds across 19 health centers over the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, laboratory testing capacity has also risen dramatically, from 30 tests per day last month to more than 2,000 daily through eight decentralized laboratories in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces.

However, Mahamud warned that treatment centers are under strain, with 84% of available beds currently occupied.

Calling the outbreak "challenging and complex," he said WHO is appealing for $115 million to help slow and ultimately stop transmission.

He also noted that neighboring Uganda has reported a 20th confirmed Ebola case linked to the ongoing outbreak in Congo.