Congo confirms Ebola outbreak as death toll reaches 80
DR Congo confirms a new Ebola outbreak in Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and fears of cross-border spread
The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Ituri province, where the Health Ministry says 80 people have died and 246 suspected cases have been reported.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba said samples tested on Thursday confirmed eight cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the health zones of Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia. The suspected index case was a nurse who died at the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia after developing symptoms, according to the ministry.
The DRC government has activated its public health emergency operations centre, strengthened epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, and ordered rapid response teams to be deployed.
Regional spread concerns
Africa CDC had earlier confirmed the outbreak and reported 65 deaths, saying deaths and suspected cases were mainly concentrated in Mongwalu and Rwampara, with suspected cases also reported in Bunia, the provincial capital.
The agency said it was convening an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and response efforts.
Africa CDC warned of a risk of further spread because of the urban setting of Bunia and Rwampara, intense population movement and mining-related mobility in affected areas close to Uganda and South Sudan.
Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said rapid regional coordination was essential because of high population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries.
Uganda’s Health Ministry said a Congolese man had died in Kampala from the Bundibugyo virus strain. Uganda said the case had been imported from Congo and that no local case had been confirmed.
Different strain may complicate response
Initial findings suggested the presence of a non-Zaire strain of Ebola, with sequencing under way to further identify the virus. Reuters reported that the outbreak has been confirmed as the Bundibugyo strain.
Congolese virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe, who co-discovered Ebola and heads the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, said almost all of Congo’s 16 previous outbreaks had been caused by the Zaire strain.
He said the identification of a different variant would complicate the response because existing treatments and vaccines were developed mainly for the Zaire strain.
WHO releases emergency funds
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation learned of suspected cases on May 5 and sent a team to Ituri to support the investigation.
Initial field samples tested negative, but a laboratory in Kinshasa confirmed positive cases on Thursday. Tedros said the total number of confirmed positive cases has now reached 13.
WHO has released US$500,000 from its contingency fund for emergencies to support the response, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and clinical care.
Violence strains health services
The outbreak is unfolding amid a worsening security crisis in Ituri, where clashes between rival militia groups have killed scores of civilians in recent weeks.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said violence has worsened an already severe humanitarian situation, leaving some health facilities overwhelmed or unable to function. It also warned that poor hygiene conditions in displacement sites could increase the risk of disease outbreaks.
This is Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. The country’s most recent outbreak, in Kasai province, was declared over on December 1 after three months, with 64 cases, including 45 deaths and 19 recoveries.
Ebola is a serious viral disease that can be fatal. It spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials or people who have died from the disease, according to Africa CDC.
