According to the World Health Organization, containment of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be achievable within three months if sufficient resources are mobilized. As of August 16, official data indicate 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 fatalities. The outbreak has affected six provinces and 55 health zones, with a case fatality rate close to 47%. This has made it the deadliest Ebola event documented in the country’s history.WHO and Congo health teams strengthen surveillance amid the expanding Ebola outbreak. Thierno Baldé, WHO incident manager, emphasized that the timeline for containment hinges on maintaining adequate staffing, supplies, and operational support. The ongoing response has secured approximately $69.3 million of the $115 million needed. Over a two-week span, health teams have added more than 400 treatment beds, deployed 100 additional epidemiologists, and mobilized over 500 community health workers. These teams focus on surveillance, contact tracing, case identification, and patient referrals. Critical resources such as ambulances, vehicles, medical supplies, and trained personnel are essential across affected regions to support these efforts. Transmission has now reached Bas-Uélé, marking it as the sixth province impacted by the outbreak. While Ituri remained the primary hub of transmission in mid-August, accounting for the majority of confirmed cases and deaths, health officials have observed that many new infections lack any known link to previously identified patients. This gap underscores the urgent need for faster case detection and contact monitoring.
The German airline canceled 678 flights at its Frankfurt hub, most of which were scheduled for Wednesday, and 345 at Munich. According to Lufthansa, more than 130,000 passengers are affected. After the strike called by labor union Verdi ended on Thursday, there could be a few more cancellations and delays on Friday.