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ARCHIVE – Healthcare workers treat an Ebola patient in the Congo. Photo: Moses Sawasawa/AP/dpa/Archive photo
Keystone
In light of the rapid spread of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the African health authority Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) plan to investigate whether there may be a mutation of the virus. “The severity of this Bundibugyo outbreak is unprecedented,” said Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, in his weekly briefing. “We are launching several investigations to determine whether there has been a mutation. We need to clarify this and figure out how to deal with it.”
"We must now assume there are 4,000 cases," Kaseya said, noting that the current figure of more than 3,900 confirmed cases was from the previous day. This figure is more than eight times higher than during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which was the most severe on the continent to date. The number of deaths during this period is more than six times as high.
"We're expanding our capacity, but this outbreak is beyond our capabilities," Kaseya said. Although new laboratories and treatment centers are being built, "if we don't stop this outbreak at the community level, it won't make any difference."
06.08.2026, 17:16
