Technology and Science10 August, 20263 min read
WHO Says DRC Ebola Outbreak Began in February, Reaching 4,200 Confirmed Cases
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Outbreak began in February, months before its official May declaration. Confirmed cases surpassed 4,000, making it the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record.
WHO: Virus ahead
The World Health Organization said the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) started in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May, with Mohamed Yakub Janabi telling a press conference that sequencing indicated the outbreak’s start. Janabi said some early cases were wrongly attributed to malaria and typhoid and warned, "So we are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us," as responders struggled to catch up. The outbreak declared on May 15 has reached 4,200 confirmed cases and at least 1,900 deaths, according to the latest government figures cited by the South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.
The BBC reported that more than 1,900 people have died since the declaration on 15 May and said the epicentre is in the east of DR Congo where insecurity has hampered control efforts. The BBC also said there is no approved vaccine or any recognised therapeutic drugs for the Bundibugyo species, making treating the current outbreak harder.
Workers, trials, and strain
As the outbreak accelerates, health workers in Congo’s Ituri province have described battling the surge without pay, with infection control worker Wiza Bondele saying he has been working without pay since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. Bondele, who disinfects contaminated areas and enforces hand-washing protocols at an Ebola treatment hospital, told a visiting reporter, "With risks like that, we deserve salaries." The Los Angeles Times reported that Bondele said he was promised a monthly salary of $510 and described how he ran out of fuel on his motorcycle because he had no money to refill the tank, leaving the bike with neighbors and walking eight miles to the hospital.
WHO vaccine experts recommended a full-scale human trial of the only existing approved Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, to see if it offers cross-protection against the deadly strain spreading in the DR Congo, according to France 24. The BBC added that health workers are only reaching about 30% of the cases with the rest dying at home, citing insecurity and the difficulty of reaching people.
Containment gaps widen
WHO and Africa CDC warned that in some of the most affected areas, transmission is progressing faster than response capacity deployed on the ground, with Estrella Digital saying the outbreak had reached 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths as of August 4. Estrella Digital reported that contact tracing sits around 75% versus an operational target of 95%, and said the occupancy of treatment centers in North Kivu has reached 139%, reflecting strain on resources and healthcare staff. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned, "In some areas of eastern DRC, the Ebola outbreak is outpacing our response," after a joint mission conducted with Africa CDC.
DW reported that health authorities are tightening screening measures to prevent the virus from reaching the capital, Kinshasa, including checking all passengers arriving by boat after a traveler died with Ebola-like symptoms. Meanwhile, the BBC said the outbreak’s epicentre is in the east of DR Congo where insecurity has hampered control efforts, and it cited traditional burial practices where mourners touch the deceased’s body as making things difficult.