The Ebola epidemic affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo may be three times larger than official numbers indicate, according to Africa's leading public health agency. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that thousands of infections are going undetected while authorities struggle to track transmission.
Congo officially recorded 5,713 confirmed infections and 2,744 deaths as of August 25. A three times larger outbreak would imply approximately 17,100 infections. The case fatality rate among confirmed cases rose to 48%, from 27% two months earlier.
Still, the proportion of deaths occurring in the community fell significantly over the past three days in areas where health professionals were mobilized. Approximately 63% of reported deaths in the two weeks ending August 24 occurred in the community.
Kyeng Mercy, head of the epidemiological intelligence unit at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the situation could be much larger than the numbers indicate. The agency is trying to contain transmission while facing difficulties in completely tracking the spread of the disease.
