Health workers in Hazmat suits. Archive/ Sana Syrian News Agency

Nairobi, June 16 (SANA) Operations Manager at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Bruno Michon, said on Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has not yet reached its peak, warning it could continue for up to a year.

Quoted by Reuters, Michon told journalists via video link from eastern DR Congo: “It is very difficult to accurately determine the extent of the outbreak, but I believe we have not yet reached the peak,” adding, “We fear the situation could last for a year before the disease can be brought under control.”

More than 800 cases of the rare “Bundibugyo” strain of the virus have been reported in DR Congo, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available, resulting in 192 deaths. Government data indicate that the disease, which spreads through bodily fluids even after death, is rapidly expanding across three provinces.

Response efforts are facing several challenges, including a shortage of treatment centers and resistance in some communities to strict health measures. Health officials say the true scale of the crisis remains unclear, despite more than a month having passed since the outbreak was declared. M.Q.R