DR Congo Ebola Outbreak: Worst in History Feared, Africa CDC Warns

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has increased to 837, including 196 deaths, according to government data.

DR Congo is currently battling a growing Ebola outbreak that could become deadlier than the worst outbreak on record, which killed over 11,000 people.

Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya stated that if the outbreak isn't stopped soon, it will be worse than what was experienced in West Africa and eastern DRC.

Kaseya also revealed that tens of thousands of people who may have been exposed to Ebola have not yet been traced or contacted, making contact tracing a major issue.

"We are missing more than 26,000 people, and we don't know where they are, and we don't know if they are contaminating other people," added Kaseya.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' operations manager, Bruno Michon, believes that the epidemic could last a year before it subsides, highlighting the need for urgent action.

The response to the outbreak has been hindered by a lack of treatment centers and community resistance to stringent hygiene measures.

Health officials also pointed out that the true scale of the outbreak is still unknown, more than a month after it was declared.

The bodies of Ebola victims are highly infectious after death, and unsafe traditional burials are a leading driver of transmission.

Neighbouring Uganda has recorded 19 cases, 14 of them among people who had travelled from the DRC. The country has also reported two deaths.

There is currently no approved treatment or vaccine for this strain of Ebola, and it could take up to nine months for a vaccine to be ready.