The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is already threatening Uganda
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a difficult situation in containing the Ebola outbreak, according to a May 23 report by Bloomberg.
In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola virus is spreading faster than doctors can track its spread. In a single day, they were able to track only one in five patients.
Cases have been reported in three provinces. At least 83 confirmed cases, 746 probable cases, and 1,603 identified contacts have been detected there. However, not all of them are under observation. “This means that response measures are lagging behind the outbreak itself,” the article notes.
The situation is further complicated by the social conditions in the DRC. The virus was first detected in the remote province of Ituri. Relatives of a man who died from the virus are demanding that his body be released for burial. But doctors fear this will lead to an even greater spread of the fever. A conflict broke out between the relatives and the authorities, and tents used to treat patients were set on fire. During the unrest, at least six patients escaped.
It is also noted that the outbreak is caused by a rare strain of the Ebola virus, Bundibugyo, against which there are no approved vaccines or antibody-based treatments. “It appears the virus had been circulating undetected in Ituri Province for several months before authorities realized what they were dealing with,” the authors write.
On Saturday, Uganda also reported three new confirmed cases of Ebola. The total number of cases since the virus was detected in Uganda on May 15 has reached five, Reuters reported.
According to the Ministry of Health, the cases involve a local driver and a healthcare worker, as well as a citizen of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The Ministry continues to strengthen epidemiological surveillance, maintain case records, conduct contact tracing, and carry out public awareness campaigns to contain the outbreak,” the ministry said in a statement.
Immediately after the first two cases were confirmed this week, Uganda suspended all public transportation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of the first two infected individuals did not survive the illness, marking the first fatality of this virus outbreak in Uganda.
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In Congo, the number of Ebola deaths has risen to 131 – Reuters.
Earlier reports indicated that the 17th Ebola outbreak had been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has already claimed the lives of 80 people. This time, the disease was likely caused by the little-studied Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, rather than the more common Zaire ebolavirus.
Ethiopia has recorded its first outbreak of the Marburg virus, which is clinically similar to Ebola. The pathogen is capable of spreading rapidly, but there are no vaccines against it.
