The true size of the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be up to four times larger than current official records show, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
According to the latest official numbers released by the country’s health department, the dangerous fever has infected more than 1,960 people and caused over 700 deaths since it was first discovered in mid-May. However, international health experts warn that these recorded numbers only show a small part of the real crisis.
Speaking on Tuesday, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the WHO's emergencies director, explained that the organisation's data models show a much larger problem. The research indicates that the actual scale of the outbreak is likely between two and four times higher than the total number of cases medical teams have been able to find and count so far.
This big difference shows how hard it is for emergency workers to track and stop the virus in heavily affected areas. A lack of medical testing tools, difficult travel conditions in remote areas, and a lack of local trust make it very difficult to record every single sick person. Because the virus might be spreading quietly without doctors knowing, the global health agency is asking for more international help to track cases better and keep the outbreak from getting worse.
