Ebola Kills 1,700 in Eastern Congo as the Fastest-Growing Outbreak Surges

Ebola has claimed over 1,700 lives in eastern Congo, marking the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease, according to recent government data. As of Tuesday, there have been 3,802 cases with 1,707 deaths, with the outbreak's peak still uncertain. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, MD, warned during a visit to Bunia, near the outbreak's center, that nearly 80% of new cases are not traced but spread within communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, is set to arrive in Kinshasa and visit Bunia later this week. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is associated with the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Challenges include delays in contact tracing, access to affected areas, community mistrust, and violence from armed groups and some residents.

Two clinical trials for post-exposure prophylaxis drugs and two vaccine trials are underway in Ituri province, along with two separate vaccine trials in the U.K. and Canada.

The outbreak primarily affects eastern Congo's Ituri province, responsible for nearly 90% of cases, but cases have also been reported in five other provinces and Kinshasa. Neighboring Uganda declared itself Ebola-free after discharging its last patient in mid-June. Identifying the initial patient and tracing thousands who've come into contact with infected individuals remains difficult due to displacement from armed conflict and illegal mining.

WHO reported monitoring over 17,000 potential contacts, with 80% seen daily. Healthcare workers in Mongbwalu and Bunia have gone on strike over unpaid wages and dangerous working conditions. Over 100 healthcare workers have contracted the virus since the outbreak began. The response is further hampered by funding gaps, attacks on health centers, ongoing conflict, and local mistrust. Enrollment in a study of potential Ebola treatments recently started in Ituri.