The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached a critical juncture, spreading to a sixth province and raising significant concerns among health officials. The latest development comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the current outbreak is on track to surpass the deadliest in history, which claimed over 11,000 lives more than a decade ago.
The current outbreak has already resulted in more than 2,100 deaths out of over 4,500 cases according to the latest government figures. This alarming rate of transmission has outpaced the 2014-16 outbreak in West Africa, which had recorded only 755 cases at this point. The latest fatality was reported in Bas-Uele province previously unaffected by the virus. The victim had traveled from Isiro in Haut-Uele province to Buta the capital of Bas-Uele, where he succumbed to the disease.
The Rapid Spread and Challenging Conditions
The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable. Health workers are facing strikes due to unpaid salaries, global development aid cuts, threats from rebel groups, and misinformation claiming that Ebola is not real. These factors are complicating efforts to contain the virus, which has now affected six of the DRC’s 26 provinces, primarily those along the country’s northeastern border.
More than 3,400 cases have been recorded in Ituri province where the outbreak was first reported. Uganda has also reported 20 cases all in the capital, Kampala. The last case there was reported on 21 June and no community transmission has been recorded. However, the true scope of the outbreak remains unknown, as it was declared on 15 May but sequencing now shows it began months earlier in February.
Health Workers’ Struggles and the Race Against the Virus
Health authorities have reported that between 60% and 70% of new cases are recorded outside contacts being monitored, indicating that the disease is spreading at an alarming rate. Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi the WHO regional director for Africa, stated this week, “We are chasing the virus; the virus is ahead of us.“
Adding to the challenges, health workers at the Nizi treatment center in Ituri province went on strike last week, leading to the temporary closure of the center. The workers reported that they had not been paid for three months. Jean Kaseya the director general of the Africa CDC called on the Congolese government to pay the outstanding salaries, emphasizing that this is the responsibility of the government, not partners.
Clinical Trials and the Search for Solutions
Ebola is a rare but highly contagious disease that can be contracted from body fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen, including from dead bodies, and from contaminated surfaces and materials like bedding and clothing. The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.
Clinical trials of two possible treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola causing this outbreak began last month in Ituri. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus the WHO director general, announced that two vaccines developed specifically for this strain are now being tested on people for the first time. This strain of Bundibugyo is genetically different from previous outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, making it likely that this outbreak began when the virus jumped from an infected animal to a human.
Despite the challenges, there is a note of optimism. Abdirahman Mahamud the head of the WHO’s emergency response division, stated that if the pandemic response is implemented “at the same time across the five transmission zones, we are expecting a turnaround in three months.” However, he cautioned that the peak of the outbreak would not be reached for six months under a “moderate” scenario and that the outbreak could last nine to 12 months.
