Daijiworld Media Network - Kinshasa

Kinshasa, Oct 2: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that a recent decline in reported Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) may be linked to disruptions in disease surveillance rather than a sustained reduction in transmission, as the outbreak has claimed nearly 4,000 lives.

Speaking at an online press briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC official Wessam Mankoula said the outbreak had expanded from three health zones in mid-May to 63 health zones across seven provinces, with 45 health zones still reporting active transmission.

Although the epidemic curve has largely plateaued over the past four to five weeks and reported cases declined in the latest week, the agency cautioned against interpreting the drop as evidence of sustained progress, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“Falling in this curve doesn't mean that the outbreak is totally under control,” Mankoula said.

Insecurity and community resistance in several areas have hampered surveillance and response activities, raising concerns that some infections may be going undetected.

The warning comes amid growing security concerns in eastern DRC. In Butembo, North Kivu province, a local ruling-party official was beaten to death following a radio appearance on Sunday, with his party linking the attack to his public support for Ebola prevention efforts.

In neighbouring Beni territory, an armed attack on a checkpoint also used by Ebola response teams left at least one person dead and several others injured on Saturday, according to local reports.

Meanwhile, in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, a doctor died of Ebola on September 24, raising concerns over infections among healthcare workers.

Provincial Health Minister Simon Bokongo said on Tuesday that the hospital where the doctor worked had been temporarily closed for 21 days after more than 10 staff members tested positive. More than 123 contacts have been identified.

The outbreak is also showing divergent trends across affected provinces. During the latest three-week period, reported cases in Ituri province, the longtime epicentre, declined by about 32 per cent compared with the preceding three weeks, while North Kivu province continued to record an increase.

Contact tracing remains another major weakness. Mankoula said an average of about 14 contacts are now being identified per confirmed case, well below the expected level of around 60.

Only about 23 per cent of estimated contacts are currently being followed up, while nearly 80 per cent of new cases are being detected outside known contact lists.

“This is also one of the reasons... we cannot confidently say the outbreak is under control at this stage,” the official said.

The DRC had recorded 8,224 confirmed cases, including 3,982 deaths, as of September 29, with an overall case fatality rate of 48.4 per cent, according to the latest situation report from the country's health authorities.

“This outbreak cannot be controlled without building community trust,” Mankoula stressed, calling for secure access to affected communities and stronger local engagement to contain transmission.