The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed 1,000 confirmed infections, according to official reports, as the virus spreads to a third displacement camp in the country’s eastern region. The outbreak has resulted in 254 confirmed deaths, the government stated late Sunday. This marks more than a month since authorities declared the presence of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved treatment or vaccine.

The virus’s rapid transmission across three provinces in eastern Congo has raised concerns among African health experts that the outbreak could potentially exceed the scale of the 2014-2016 West African epidemic, which claimed over 11,000 lives. The affected areas include several displacement camps that house individuals who have fled long-standing conflicts involving armed groups, militias, and the national army.

Among the recent fatalities was an 18-month-old girl from the Hungbe displacement camp, who died shortly after being tested for Ebola on June 14. According to a Congolese health report, the child developed a fever more than a week prior and was transported on foot to two different health centers where she received antibiotics before the Ebola test was conducted. She passed away before the test results were confirmed the following day. Health officials reported that at least 107 people came into contact with the child, including family members, healthcare workers, and residents from other camps.

Health authorities have highlighted critical shortages in facilities to properly isolate infected individuals, exacerbating the risk of further community transmission. Dr. Emmanuel Musingusi Bulemu, a health official in the Nizi zone near the affected camps, emphasized the challenge of separating patients without adequate isolation spaces.

Additional confirmed cases have been identified in Kpangba, another displacement camp in the region, where people continue to seek refuge from ongoing violence. Meanwhile, a separate displacement site in Bunia has recorded at least 30 deaths linked to the outbreak.

Preliminary data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicate that nearly 20% of the confirmed cases are children. There have also been a limited number of reported infections across the border in Uganda, highlighting concerns about the virus’s potential to spread beyond the DRC’s borders. Efforts to contain the outbreak continue amid these challenges.