Ebola cases in DR Congo top 2,000, being the fastest-growing outbreak ever recorded

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached 2,011, including 754 deaths, according to a situation report released Tuesday by the country's health authorities.

A total of 366 patients have recovered, while 753 people remain in isolation.

The outbreak has affected five provinces, namely Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

Transmission remains intense in Ituri, confirming the province as the main hotspot of the outbreak, said the report. The emergence of new cases in Haut-Uele indicates a further geographical spread, requiring an immediate strengthening of surveillance, diagnostic capacity and operational preparedness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC is the fastest-growing ever recorded, with the majority of new infections now coming from unknown chains of transmission.

"We've seen the fastest growth in a single month since the outbreak started and of all the Ebola outbreaks that we have managed," said Chikwe Ihekweazu, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, when speaking to reporters after returning from the epicenter in Ituri Province.

Single-day infection numbers have hit record highs over the past few days, with more than 80 cases confirmed in a 24-hour period, he added.

One of the most alarming findings, according to the WHO official, is that many of the newly reported deaths occurred in communities, meaning patients never reached a health facility or received care.

Despite improvements in diagnostics and high contact-tracing rates, Ihekweazu warned that "80% of new cases are outside our contact lists and so are coming to us from unknown chains of transmission." WHO modeling suggests the true scale could be "at least two to four times" the number of reported cases.

To tackle the crisis, WHO outlined a dual strategy: intensifying response efforts in the epicenter while mapping travel routes and identifying high-risk areas for potential new cases.

Urging the international community not to become "despondent," Ihekweazu stressed that results are being achieved. "Now is not the time to drop the ball," he said.

Although several therapeutics are undergoing clinical trials and no approved treatment yet exists for the Bundibugyo virus, early supportive care significantly improves survival.

(With input from Xinhua)