Congo’s Ebola outbreak started months before it was declared, says WHO

A rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began in February, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), weeks before it was officially declared in mid-May, the agency announced on Monday. The virus responsible for this outbreak, the Bundibugyo virus, has no approved vaccines or treatments, compounding the challenges faced by responders in the region.

WHO regional director for Africa, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, revealed during a press conference that sequencing data indicates the outbreak's inception. Janabi stated that early cases were mistakenly diagnosed as malaria and typhoid, hindering the swift identification of the Ebola virus. As of the latest figures, the outbreak has resulted in 4,200 confirmed cases and over 1,900 deaths.

This outbreak is particularly alarming due to its rapid spread and high fatality rate, surpassing even the 2014-2016 outbreak, which is considered the worst on record with over 11,000 deaths from at least 28,000 cases. The latter took about eight months to reach 1,000 fatalities. Ebola is a highly contagious disease transmitted through bodily fluids and contaminated materials, causing severe symptoms and often proving fatal.

Recently, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that Ebola is spreading faster than the response efforts, with some health workers striking due to inadequate pay. Data reveals that new cases are doubling in certain hotspots, while approximately 60 to 70 percent of new cases are recorded outside of monitored contacts. The outbreak's rapid progression is exacerbated by years of rebel conflict in an already remote and vulnerable region near the borders of South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda, where access to healthcare has already been compromised.

The 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, another late-declared Ebola outbreak, was declared in March 2014, although the first human case was later identified as having occurred in December 2013.