A new outbreak of Ebola disease has gripped Congo’s North-eastern Ituri Province. Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) claimed on Friday, May 15, that around 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.
“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” Africa CDC said in an update on Friday.
This is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the virus was first identified in 1976, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted to people from wild animals. It is a severe and often fatal illness. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding
It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, contaminated materials, or persons who have died from the disease.
The WHO describes Ebola as spreading through direct contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and contaminated surfaces or materials such as bedding and clothing contaminated with these fluids.
The virus was first discovered in 1976, near the Ebola River in what is now Congo. The first outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests.
What to know about new Ebola outbreak in Congo
1. Unusual strain ‘Non-Zaire ebolavirus’: African CDC says preliminary laboratory results from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) detected Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested.
“The results suggest a non-Zaire ebolavirus, with sequencing ongoing to further characterise the strain. Results are expected within the next 24 hours with support from Africa CDC,” the read.
The Ebola Zaire strain was prominent in Congo’s past outbreaks, including the 2018 to 2020 outbreak in the eastern region that killed more than 1,000 people.
2. Total deaths and suspected cases: Authorities said as of the latest update, about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths were reported, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Four deaths were reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases were also reported in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, pending confirmation.
Meanwhile, the WHO said it is aware that 13 cases of Ebola were confirmed by the L’Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, I.N.R.B., in Kinshasa.
Ituri is in a remote eastern part of Congo with poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation’s capital, Kinshasa.
3. Risk of spread: Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the urban context of Bunia and Rwampara, intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing, infection prevention and control challenges, and the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan.
4. Key response: Africa CDC is preparing support across key response pillars, including coordination through emergency operations mechanisms, digital surveillance and data management, cross-border preparedness, laboratory coordination, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement.
In addition, Africa CDC will work with partners to assess the availability and appropriateness of medical countermeasures once sequencing results confirm the exact ebolavirus species.
5. Urgent high-level meeting: Africa CDC informed about convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting on May 15 with health authorities from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. The meeting will focus on immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, laboratory support, infection prevention and control, risk communication, safe and dignified burials, and resource mobilisation.
It will also include key partners including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, FAO, the United States CDC, the European CDC, China CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Gilead Sciences, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Abbott Laboratories, Cepheid, BioNTech, Moderna, Evotec Biologics, CEPI, Gavi, Médecins Sans Frontières, IFRC, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, Afreximbank, the Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and other partners.
6. Appeal to the public: Africa CDC urged communities in affected and at-risk areas to follow guidance from national health authorities, report symptoms promptly, avoid direct contact with suspected cases, and support response teams working to protect communities.
7. WHO funds: WHO chief Tedros said he released $500,000 from WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies to immediately support the response. “We have deployed medical supplies and protective equipment for infection prevention and control to Bunia, the Ituri provincial capital,” he said.
8. 2,000 doses of vaccine: The World Health Organization said during Congo’s Ebola outbreak last year that the country has a stockpile of treatments and some 2,000 doses of vaccine. However, the vaccine is directed at Ebola Zaire, it said.
9. Will the vaccine benefit? Dr. Gabriel Nsakala, a professor of public health who has been involved in past Ebola outbreak responses in Congo, told the Associated Press that the treatments for viral infections like Ebola are often directed at symptoms and that efforts regarding vaccines would become clearer when the strain in the new outbreak is confirmed.
10. Logistical, funding challenges: Congo is Africa’s second-largest country by land area and often faces logistical challenges in responding to disease outbreaks due to bad roads and long distances.
During last year’s outbreak, which lasted three months, the WHO initially faced significant challenges in delivering vaccines, which took a week after the outbreak was confirmed, the Associated Press reported.
Funding has also been problematic. During last year’s outbreak, health officials were concerned about the impact of recent US funding cuts.
The US had supported the response to Congo’s past Ebola outbreaks, including in 2021 when the U.S. Agency for International Development provided up to $11.5 million to support efforts across Africa.
