An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed more than 400 lives and continues to spread, after the first case was identified in the major city of Kisangani, located roughly 600 kilometres from the outbreak’s epicentre.
According to the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), the outbreak has resulted in 438 deaths out of 1,406 confirmed infections, yielding a fatality rate of just over 31 %. The outbreak was declared on 15 May, and the latest report was released on Thursday.
The outbreak’s epicentre remains in the northeastern Ituri province, where more than 83 % of the fatalities have been recorded. However, the true scale of the outbreak is still difficult to determine.
The province shares borders with South Sudan and Uganda, the latter reporting 20 cases, two of which have been fatal.
Neighbouring provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu have also been affected.
A case was recently confirmed in Kisangani, a northeastern city of 1.5 million inhabitants and the capital of Tshopo province.
Testing of a 24‑year‑old pregnant woman’s body yielded a positive Ebola result, the INSP reported.
Health authorities reported that the deceased’s body was secretly moved by motorcycle to Kisangani from the Nia Nia health zone in Ituri.
The body of an Ebola victim remains highly infectious, and transmission frequently occurs during funeral rituals.
DRC President Félix Tshisekedi remarked, “Epidemics do not recognise borders,” during a press conference in Kinshasa on Thursday, which followed an official visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa, however, urged the international community not to “lock out the DRC” with travel restrictions, expressing hope that the outbreak could be contained.
‘On the run’
In Haut‑Uele province, which borders Ituri, a death and a confirmed infection were reported at the beginning of the week.
Health officials stated that the infected individual was “on the run” from the Nia Nia health zone.
Nevertheless, health authorities maintain that only three provinces are affected overall, characterising the cases in Tshopo and Haut‑Uele as “imported” from Ituri.
Several secondary cases have been identified in those two provinces.
Ebola, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, has claimed more than 15 000 lives in Africa over the past five decades.
The present outbreak marks the 17th Ebola crisis to affect the DRC, whose most lethal episode killed close to 2 300 people between 2018 and 2020.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, for which no vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.
The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that trials of potential treatments—the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir—have commenced, though definitive results may take several months.
At the same press conference, South African President Ramaphosa expressed “hope that, with very hard work, we could have a vaccine for this Ebola variant by the end of the year.”
Health centre set on fire
Health and aid workers combating the viral haemorrhagic fever in Ituri encounter deep mistrust from the local community.
Some residents deny the disease’s existence, while others accuse international organisations of profiteering.
Seven suspected cases being held in isolation at the centre escaped and remain unaccounted for, said Joseph Pemanakue, the area’s chief medical officer.
Two bodies of individuals presumed to have died from the virus were also present at the centre.
Prior to a sanitary burial, a group of young people objected, attempted to retrieve the bodies, and believed the deceased had not died from Ebola, viewing the disease as a ‘business’”, Pemanakue recounted.
Police responded with warning shots, yet the protesters ignited the facility.
A police officer was killed in the attack, and two youths were seriously wounded, said Matadi Muyapandi, the region’s police administrator.
The youths succeeded in removing the two bodies. “This creates a major risk of spreading,” the chief medical officer warned.
This incident compounds the challenges confronting the health response.
Health facilities in Ituri continue to lack essential equipment and supplies, including protective kits and chlorine.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Also Read
- Copy of Declaration of Independence found in papers of captured US ship
- Moira Deeming Files Lawsuit Against Victorian Liberal Leader Over Assault Allegations
- Semiconductor Downturn and Strong Job Growth Impact Market Volatility
- Surprise rival knocks Costco’s famous rotisserie chicken off its perch as best bird