Congo’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak reaches a sixth province

Congo's Ebola outbreak has expanded to a sixth province, Bas-Uele, following a fatality in the previously uninfected region, the director of Africa's CDC reported on Thursday. The deceased was a motorcycle taxi driver named Jean, who contracted the disease after traveling from Isiro in Haut-Uele province, according to Jean-Jacques Muyembe, head of Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research.

The virus responsible for the outbreak, Bundibugyo, has claimed over 2,100 lives out of more than 4,500 cases, making it one of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks in history. No approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo virus. The outbreak is occurring in some of the most challenging circumstances, with health worker strikes, rebel group threats, community trauma, and misinformation about the virus's existence exacerbating the situation.

Bas-Uele, a vast province in northeastern Congo, shares borders with the Central African Republic, a region plagued by armed violence that has led to thousands of displacements. As of Thursday, six out of 26 Congo provinces have been affected, with about 90% of cases and 80% of deaths concentrated in Ituri province. Mercy Corps, an aid organization, expressed concern over the disease's spread near the border with South Sudan, where no confirmed cases have been reported yet.

Health workers at the Nizi Treatment Center in Ituri province went on strike, leading to its temporary closure due to unpaid salaries. The Africa CDC urged the Congolese government to address the issue, stating that contact tracing, a crucial tool in containing the outbreak, has become ineffective. Clinical trials for two potential treatments and two vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus are underway, with initial tests already underway.