Key points
- Fastest growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded.
- There is no approved vaccine or treatment.
- Violent instability that impedes disease surveillance and care.
- Early detection remains critical to saving 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 from the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition to Ituri, the other affected provinces are North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province and at the heart of the outbreak, Dr. Baldé that the Bundibugyo virus behind this latest Ebola outbreak is also expanding its reach into new areas in the eastern region, where chronic instability and the threat of conflict combine with highly mobile and often displaced populations to create ideal conditions for the infection to spread..
Widespread uncertainty
WHO teams are adjusting and tailoring their strategy to the specific needs of each affected area, while also focusing on bringing the situation under control in Bunia and surrounding areas.
The five affected provinces are all in eastern DRC, where rebel militia violence remains widespread and communities live in fear of conflict.
“Let’s be very clear, this outbreak is ahead of us and we’re still in the catch-up phase,” he says. explained Dr. Balde. “We have prioritized the expansion of safe and dignified burials, [a] referral system [and] clinical case management capacity in the most active transmission areas.” he explained.
The Ebola outbreak 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 in Tshopo province, where WHO is implementing a collective strategy by deploying rapid response teams. The results are encouraging. “No secondary cases have so far been detected in Kisangani,” he said. “Currently, all five cases are imported from Ituri province. We intend to roll out a similar rapid response plan in…Katwa, Butembo and other new areas”he added.
Congo River strategy
To tackle possible chains of transmission, the UN health agency is also working on a new project aimed at strengthening control measures through the Congo River, “a crucial transit route that requires rapid implementation of control measures”, the WHO official explained.
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 timely response to contain the affected areas by identifying, by conducting an in-depth investigation of the cases, listing and following up all contacts,” Dr. Baldé insisted.
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, North Kivu Province,” remarked the WHO Incident Manager.
The highly contagious Bundibugyo virus is relatively unknown, but it killed about 30 percent of infected people in the two previous outbreaks in 2007 and 2012 in Uganda and the DRC, respectively.
The disease starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, which can mask its true identity. Full-blown Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus is characterized by severe bleeding and a mortality rate of about 40 percent.
