Ebola deaths in DRC top 3,000 as WHO prepares vaccine trials

More than 3,000 individuals have succumbed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) preparing to commence trials for three potential vaccines against the strain responsible for the ongoing outbreak, which persists in the region. The most recent official report from the Congolese National Institute of Public Health, published on Wednesday, indicated 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 48.6%.

Additionally, 1,409 people have reportedly recovered from the virus. The outbreak, declared on May 15 in the remote northeastern province of Ituri, has expanded to encompass six provinces, predominantly in areas where the Congolese state's influence is minimal and insecurity is rampant due to the presence of armed factions. The healthcare system has been stretched thin by the sheer number of cases, while insecurity and community resistance have exacerbated the difficulty in identifying and treating patients promptly.

The WHO estimates that approximately 60% of fatalities occur outside treatment centers, underscoring the challenges of detecting cases before individuals succumb to the disease. This outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no approved vaccines or treatments are currently available. The WHO announced that trials for three potential vaccines are set to commence by October or November.

Two novel vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo virus are currently undergoing safety trials in the United Kingdom and Canada. Furthermore, the WHO has endorsed a full-scale human trial of Ervebo, a vaccine approved for use against the more prevalent Zaire strain of Ebola, to ascertain its efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain as well.

Preliminary data indicates that Ervebo, manufactured by Merck, may provide some level of protection. A shipment of 16,250 Ervebo vaccines arrived in the DRC in July for use by frontline medical personnel, with vaccinations commencing shortly thereafter in Kisangani, the capital of northeastern Tshopo province. Kate O'Brien, the head of vaccines at the WHO, emphasized that healthcare workers should only receive the vaccine as part of research to determine its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain.

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