The Ebola epidemic in DR Congo could be the worst in history, Africa’s CDC has warned News about Ebola

The number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 837, including 196 deaths.

Now The Ebola outbreak The death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could be higher than the worst epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people, said the head of Africa’s CDC.

The number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 837, including 196 deaths, the government showed on Tuesday.

“If we don’t stop the spread soon, it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and in the east of the DRC,” said Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC at a meeting of African leaders and donors in Burundi on Tuesday.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Kaseya said thousands of people who may have contracted Ebola have not been traced or contacted.

“The current investigation is a big sign and a big problem. We’re missing more than 26,000 people, and we don’t know where they are, and we don’t know if they’re contaminating other people.”

An official of the Red Cross said that the epidemic had not yet reached its peak in the country.

“We fear that it will take a year to eradicate the disease,” said Bruno Michon, director of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The response has been hampered by a lack of treatment facilities and people’s refusal to follow strict hygiene measures. Health officials said that, more than a month after the outbreak, the exact level is still unknown.

The corpses of Ebola victims are highly contagious after death, and traditional unprotected burials – in which family members handle the body without personal protective equipment – are a major driver of transmission.

So far, Africa has received less than one-fifth of the $518 million it wants to boost efforts to combat the epidemic, according to Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who is also the chair of the African Union.

The shortfall has caused concern among the authorities, who fear that the consequences could be dire if the virus is not controlled quickly.

There is no approved treatment or vaccine for this type of Ebola. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it could take up to nine months for a vaccine to be ready.

The neighboring country of Uganda has recorded 19 cases, 14 of whom came from the DRC. The country also reported two deaths.