Cholera cases soar in DR Congo as outbreak hits "acute phase"

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a sharp resurgence of cholera, with cases reported in 17 of its 36 provinces and over 35,000 infections recorded since the beginning of the year, Xinhua reports citing authorities.

Minister of Public Health Roger Kamba told a briefing in Kinshasa, the capital, late Monday that the country remains in the "acute phase" of the outbreak.

"Being in the acute phase means that we are still seeing the number of cases rising," Kamba said.

The outbreak, which has remained endemic in several eastern provinces since it first appeared in the country over half a century ago, is now spreading rapidly, especially in the capital, Kinshasa, a city of over 17 million people.

"Cholera arrived in our country in 1973, and since then, it has never left. It has remained mostly in the eastern regions," the minister said.

"From time to time, the disease resurfaces as an epidemic. More often, it's endemic -- meaning there is a constant presence of cases in some areas, although they are quickly contained," Kamba said. "However, sometimes it leads to large-scale outbreaks."

Tshopo province is currently the most affected, followed by Kinshasa, South Kivu, Maniema, and North Kivu. Sporadic cases have also been reported in the central provinces, raising concern among authorities.

The national case fatality rate has reached 3 percent, with a peak of 9 percent previously recorded in Kinshasa.