WHO says Congo’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak started months before it was declared

The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record began in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May, according to the World Health Organization. Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, stated that sequencing indicated the outbreak's start, noting that some early cases were misdiagnosed as other diseases like malaria and typhoid.

Dr. Steve Ahuka, head of Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research's virology department, led the genetic sequencing efforts. As of the latest figures, the outbreak has resulted in 4,200 confirmed cases and over 1,900 deaths. The global risk of spread is assessed as low by WHO because Ebola does not travel through the air.

However, cases detected outside the affected region have been swiftly identified and contained, preventing sustained transmission. The outbreak is challenging due to factors such as strikes by unpaid health workers, rebel group threats, community anger, and misinformation claiming Ebola isn't real. The health teams face difficult conditions, including remote, unpaved roads, shortages of protective gear, and limited access to reliable water sources for handwashing.

This Ebola outbreak has claimed more lives at a faster rate than any other, surpassing the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which took eight months to reach 1,000 deaths. Ebola is a highly contagious disease that can be contracted through bodily fluids and contaminated surfaces, resulting in severe and often fatal illness.