Congo Ebola outbreak reaches turning point as daily infections fall

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached its peak, authorities say, with new infections slowing for the first time since the epidemic began in May.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said transmission of the Bundibugyo Ebola variant was declining, but warned that preventive measures must remain in place.

“We are fighting a very dangerous virus that is killing many of our people. Today, we can say that the outbreak is under control,” Kamba said, according to The Guardian.

“At one point, we were recording about 120 cases per day; today, we’re seeing about 80 per day. So the number of new cases is decreasing every day.”

More than 7,200 confirmed cases and 3,475 deaths had been recorded as of September 14, according to the Congolese health ministry.

The outbreak was declared on May 15 and has been concentrated mainly in Ituri province, where conflict has complicated efforts to contain the disease.

It is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease was first identified in 1976.

However, Bunia MP Iracan Gratien de Saint-Nicolas urged caution and called for greater transparency.

“Claims that an epidemic is under control must be supported by objective indicators,” he said.

Six health zones have now gone more than 42 days without reporting a new case, according to Kamba.