The Democratic Republic of Congo recorded its largest one-day increase in Ebola cases since the current outbreak began, with 72 new infections reported in 24 hours, health authorities said Sunday.
The surge has pushed the total number of confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak to 782 since it was declared on May 15.
Ebola outbreak expands to new areas
According to the Health Ministry, the highest increase was recorded in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, where 56 new cases were confirmed.
The ministry said stronger community surveillance contributed to the sharp rise in reported infections.
“The high number of detected cases reflects more active community surveillance. The population reports, the teams investigate,” the ministry said.
The outbreak has now spread to two additional health zones: Nia-Nia in Ituri province and Mabalako in North Kivu province.
As a result, the number of affected health zones has increased to 31 across three provinces.
Death toll rises
Health officials reported 29 additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 181.
The case fatality rate also increased to 23.1%, up from 21%.
Meanwhile, 40 people have recovered from the disease since the outbreak began.
Authorities said emergency response measures are being deployed in newly affected areas to contain further transmission.
Response faces funding challenges
The Health Ministry warned that significant challenges continue to hamper the response effort.
Officials cited a funding shortfall of $21.5 million, limited treatment capacity, weak contact tracing systems and shortages of infection prevention materials.
These gaps have complicated efforts to contain the outbreak and protect affected communities.
Africa CDC calls for urgent support
Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said the organization is providing technical support to strengthen the response.
The agency is assisting with laboratory systems, active case detection and community engagement activities.
“We remain committed to supporting affected countries until transmission is stopped,” Kaseya said.
He also called on international partners and donors to mobilize resources urgently to strengthen the response and save lives.
The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, health authorities said.
