Africa CDC Warns Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo Killed 600, With 1,759 Confirmed Cases

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has killed 600 people, with the World Health Organization reporting 1,759 confirmed cases since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.

“Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Thursday that the death toll in the current Ebola outbreak has increased to 600”

Africanews

African health authorities warned the outbreak is the “fastest growing

Africanews

not only among the previous Bundibugyo outbreaks, but all the different viruses that are causing Ebola,” according to Wessam Mankoula of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Mankoula said the virus is “moving faster than deploying the resources to control the situation,” and he added that the number of cases was estimated to be doubling every 28 days.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, and the WHO said the case fatality rate in DR Congo stands at 34 percent.

The WHO also reported that 285 patients have recovered and 304 suspected cases are under investigation, while the outbreak has affected four provinces in northeastern DR Congo with Ituri province being the main focus.

The WHO said response efforts face challenges including population movement, insecurity and a weak health system, and it reported there are around 700 beds across 22 treatment centres with more beds being added.

Anne Ancia, the WHO's representative in the DRC, said Tuesday that “Population movements, persistent insecurity, and the fragility of the health system continue to complicate efforts to bring the outbreak under control,” while also describing centers operating at around 90% capacity.

Al Jazeera

The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province, but new suspected cases were reported in parts of Congo previously unaffected, including Tshopo and Haut-Uele, as the death toll reached 600.

The Congolese government report said two new cases were suspected in Kisangani in Tshopo province, and one of the two suspected cases in Tshopo was linked to the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province.

In parallel, Al Jazeera reported that healthcare workers in Ituri were walking off their jobs to protest delay in payments, with Dr Biensi Kano telling AP, “Since the Ebola virus disease outbreak was declared, we've been demanding payment for our work.”

Two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo strain began trials in DR Congo on July 2, including the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination.

The WHO said the outbreak is caused by a rare Bundibugyo virus with no approved vaccine or treatment, and it has also granted emergency use authorization for the first molecular diagnostic test of the virus.

Le Monde reported that the WHO said in a situation report dated July 7 that 600 deaths and 1,759 confirmed cases have been recorded since the start of the current outbreak, while the toll remained at two deaths and 20 confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda.

Le Monde also quoted Anne Ancia saying the outbreak continues to spread and its real extent has not yet been fully established, and it added that current treatment centers are operating at about 90% of their capacity.

With the epicenter in Ituri and the virus present in North Kivu and South Kivu, Le Monde said population movement, persistent insecurity and the fragility of the health system continue to complicate efforts to control the outbreak, while humanitarian needs remain significant for civilian protection, access to food and essential health services.