WHO says 80% of new Congo Ebola cases come from unknown transmission chains

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said 80% of newly reported Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are coming from transmission chains whose origins have not been identified, a figure the agency described as evidence that the outbreak is spreading rapidly and that contact tracing has fallen behind. Congo has been battling a rare Ebola strain, Bundibugyo, since May of last year, a version of the virus for which no approved treatment or vaccine exists. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said the outbreak is the fastest Ebola spread ever recorded on the continent. WHO official Chikwe Ihekweazu, speaking after returning from Bunia in Ituri province, said a significant share of recent deaths occurred in the community before patients could reach any health facility. He added that the fact that 80% of new cases fall outside the lists of monitored contacts points to ongoing transmission through unknown chains. As of Monday, Congolese authorities said at least 1,926 people had been infected across three provinces and 702 had died. Cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.