MSF warns of Ebola surge in DRC's North Kivu province

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Monday warned that Ebola infections were rising sharply in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, urging authorities to expand treatment capacity.

The country declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in mid-May, several weeks after the outbreak began. The highly deadly disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades.

As of October 2, the World Health Organization had recorded 8,463 cases and 4,082 deaths since the emergence of the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.

The outbreak began in northeastern Ituri province before spreading to seven provinces. Ituri, North Kivu and Haut-Uele have recorded the largest share of cases.

MSF said North Kivu had seen a sharp escalation in infections since early September, with the province now accounting for almost 40% of newly confirmed cases across the country.

"It is like fighting a megafire," said Stephanie Hoffmann, coordinator of the MSF Ebola treatment centre in Butembo, near the Ugandan border.

The charity said treatment capacity in North Kivu was stretched to its limit, with new infection hotspots emerging regularly and available facilities unable to meet demand.

"With new hotspots emerging every week, treatment capacities remain largely insufficient and inadequate. This situation places current patients and entire communities at even greater risk," MSF said.

As of September 28, 34% of confirmed Ebola patients in North Kivu were being treated at non-specialised health facilities because of limited bed capacity at dedicated treatment centers and delays in diagnosis, MSF said. It warned that many of those facilities lacked the resources and expertise needed to manage Ebola cases, increasing the risk of transmission among patients and healthcare workers.

"Because there are not enough beds available, we are sometimes forced to refer confirmed Ebola patients elsewhere, despite the significant risk this poses to the wider community," Hoffmann said.

MSF also stressed the importance of building trust with communities, some of which remain wary of Ebola treatment centres. More than 60% of Ebola-related deaths continue to occur within communities, Hoffmann said.

"Patients must be willing to seek care early and accept isolation measures. Without that trust, we risk seeing more deaths and further spread of the disease into neighboring areas," she said.