Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have exceeded 8,000, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that the outbreak remains extensive and continues to spread geographically.

The latest government situation report released on Monday said the country had recorded 8,067 confirmed cases as of Saturday, including 3,901 deaths.

It said 2,070 patients had recovered, while the case fatality rate stood at 48.4 per cent.

In its latest disease outbreak news published on Friday, the WHO said daily new cases remained high, although transmission intensity varied significantly across affected provinces and health zones.

“The continuously high case fatality ratio, and especially the continuous high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care,” the WHO said.

Ituri Province remains the epicentre of the outbreak, although transmission patterns continue to differ across affected areas.

The WHO said incidence in Ituri had gradually declined from a peak in mid-August, while North Kivu Province recorded a substantial increase, reaching its highest reported level in mid-September.

Sustained transmission also continues in Haut Uele Province, while renewed transmission activity has been reported in Tshopo Province.

The outbreak has affected 63 health zones across seven provinces so far.

The WHO said the latest geographic expansion, including newly affected areas in Sud Ubangi and Haut Uele, had increased the risk of cross-border transmission.

The outbreak, declared in May, has become the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC and the second largest globally, after the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemics. 

(Xinhua/NAN)