Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Two More Health Zones in DR Congo

Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Two More Health Zones in DR Congo
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The World Health Organization said Friday that new cases of the Bundibugyo strain were detected in Bulu in South Ubangi province, near the Central African Republic, and Dungu in Haut-Uele province, near South Sudan.

The new cases bring the outbreak to 63 affected health zones across seven provinces. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said ongoing conflict and population displacement were making it harder for health workers to reach affected communities and trace contacts.

The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine, according to Tedros, who said the WHO is accelerating clinical trials of vaccines and treatments.

Contact tracing also remains a major challenge. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the number of confirmed cases would normally correspond to hundreds of thousands of contacts, but only about 30,000 people are currently listed for monitoring.

Ituri remains the epicentre, with 6,032 confirmed cases, while North Kivu has reported 1,480 cases. Nearly 60 percent of diagnosed patients in North Kivu have died, compared with a national fatality rate of about 48 percent.

Health workers have also reported difficulties persuading patients to seek care early, while the Bundibugyo strain can initially cause relatively mild symptoms that resemble illnesses such as malaria and typhoid, complicating early detection.