Key Points
- The fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record.
- There are no approved vaccines or treatments.
- Violent instability hampering disease surveillance and care.
- Early detection remains essential to save lives.
“The outbreak has been reported in five provinces, but Ituri province remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for more than 90 percent of cases and also 80 percent of deaths. » said Dr Thierno Baldé, incident manager at the World Health Organization (WHO). Besides Ituri, the other provinces affected are North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo..
Speaking to journalists in Geneva from Bunia, capital of Ituri province and the heart of the outbreak, Dr Baldé confirmed that the Bundibugyo virus that caused this latest Ebola outbreak is also extending its reach to new areas in the eastern region, where chronic instability and the threat of conflict have combined with highly mobile and often displaced populations to create ideal conditions for the spread of infection..
Widespread insecurity
WHO teams are adjusting and adapting their strategy to the specific needs of each of the affected areas, while also working to control the situation in Bunia and its surroundings.
The five affected provinces are all in eastern DRC, where rebel militia violence remains endemic and communities live in fear of conflict.
“Let’s be very clear, this epidemic remains ahead of us and we are still in the catching up phase,” explained Dr. Baldé. “We have prioritized the expansion of safe and dignified burials, [a] referencing system [and] clinical case management capacity in the most active transmission areas”, he explained.
The Ebola outbreak that was declared in eastern DRC on May 15 is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record. The Bundibugyo virus variant is less common and there is no approved vaccine or treatment..
Dr Baldé described a recent visit to Kisangani, Tshopo province, where WHO is implementing a collective strategy by deploying rapid response teams. The results are encouraging. “No secondary cases have been detected so far in Kisangani. he said. “Currently, all five cases are imported from Ituri province. We intend to deploy a similar rapid response plan to… Katwa, Butembo and other emerging areas.”he added.
Congo River Strategy
To combat any chain of transmission, the United Nations health agency is also working on a new project that aims to strengthen control measures across the Congo River, “a crucial transit route requiring rapid implementation of control measures”“, explained the WHO official.
WHO teams continue to actively engage with communities to mobilize and encourage them to accept treatment and follow-up care. “The main strategy is to implement a very strong, very effective and very rapid response to contain affected areas by identifying, thoroughly investigating cases, listing and tracking all contacts», insisted Dr Baldé.
Despite the challenges, the WHO has reported some encouraging signs, such as in Mongbwalu, where the outbreak was first detected. “Mongbwalu is currently showing some signs of stabilization with a similar trend in Goma, in the province of North Kivu,» noted the WHO incident manager.
The highly contagious Bundibugyo virus is relatively little known, but it killed around 30 percent of those infected in two previous outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, in Uganda and the DRC, respectively.
The illness begins with flu-like symptoms, including fever, which can mask its true identity. The true Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus is characterized by severe bleeding and a mortality rate of around 40 percent.
