Confirmed Ebola outbreak cases in Congo exceed 1,000, 254 people dead

The number of confirmed cases during the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has officially reached 1,003, including 254 deaths, as contact tracing remains a serious challenge, AP reports, citing UNN.

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Congo's Ministry of Health reported on Sunday that a total of 100 people have recovered from the outbreak, which is centered in Ituri province, since it was declared on May 15. At least 365 patients are in hospitals or in isolation, the statement said.

The Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no vaccines or treatments, has become the worst in its first month. Officials acknowledge that there may be many more cases they are not yet aware of, and that the peak of the outbreak is still ahead.

Contact tracing remains a key issue for local authorities, who have achieved only a 55% coverage rate, the ministry said.

"To bring an outbreak under control, especially an Ebola outbreak, you need to know the first case of infection. We are not certain when this outbreak began," Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Associated Press last week.

According to authorities, officials have also not yet identified patient zero and have not traced more than 35,000 people who had contact with infected individuals as of last week.

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