The Democratic Republic of Congo's ebola outbreak update brought 72 new confirmed cases on June 13, the outbreak's largest one-day increase since it began one month earlier. The report pushed the total to 782 cases and 181 deaths, with the outbreak now spread across 31 affected health zones.
Douglas Noble, UNICEF global lead for public health emergencies and global incident manager for Ebola, said on Friday, "as the outbreak evolves, we must be prepared for increasing household transmission which means we may see more children affected in the days ahead." Noble also said, "These are already very vulnerable children, so the capacity for this community to absorb any additional stressors was already stretched to breaking point."
Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu
The majority of cases are concentrated in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu in northeastern Congo. Nia-Nia in Ituri and Mabalako in North Kivu reported cases for the first time, adding two more places to an outbreak that is already moving beyond its earlier footprint.
Only 56.5% of identified contacts have been followed up on, below the World Health Organization's 90% to 95% target for contact follow-up. That gap leaves responders with less visibility on where the virus may be spreading next, especially in communities where case finding is already lagging behind the pace of transmission.
Uganda and the DRC response
Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases linked largely to cross-border transmission from the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with two deaths. The spread across the border places added pressure on screening and burial teams working in northeastern Congo and in neighboring areas where movement between countries continues.
The United States State Department said it plans to provide $50 million to CEPI to help develop vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, and said it has committed more than $270 million directly to the Ebola response. U.S.-funded partners have screened more than 6,300 people in Ituri, supported 100 health facilities and carried out 200 safe burials.
What the numbers show
The rise in cases comes one month into the outbreak and after the Democratic Republic of Congo reported 29 deaths on June 13, alongside the larger cumulative toll of 181 deaths. With 31 affected health zones and contact follow-up still far short of the World Health Organization target, the immediate task for responders is to close the tracing gap before household spread widens further.
