Democratic Republic of Congo: ebola outbreak claims over 430 lives

The ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has tragically led to 438 fatalities among a total of 1,406 recorded cases. This grim statistic, reflecting a lethality rate of 31.2%, was released in the latest assessment by the Institut national de santé publique (INSP) on Thursday.

Officially declared on May 15, this particular outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo virus, a strain for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment is currently available. However, health authorities have confirmed that clinical trials are in the preparatory stages.

Ituri province remains the primary hotspot of this virulent surge, accounting for 91.2% of confirmed infections and 83.6% of the deaths. The virus is also circulating in the adjacent provinces of Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu, though Sud-Kivu has not registered any new confirmed cases since May 26.

Despite the concentration in Ituri, officials have verified a case in Kisangani, the capital city of Tshopo province, situated almost 600 kilometers from the epidemic’s core. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the virus in the remains of a 24-year-old woman, who was six months pregnant. According to the INSP, her body was illicitly transported by motorcycle from the Nia Nia health zone in Ituri, a concerning act given the elevated risk of transmission associated with the deceased, particularly during traditional funeral rites.

Furthermore, one death and a new contamination were reported in the neighboring Haut-Uélé province. Authorities indicate that the infected individual had departed the Nia Nia health zone and is currently being sought.

Despite these recent reports, health authorities continue to classify only three provinces as officially affected by the epidemic. They consider the instances recorded in Tshopo and Haut-Uélé as ‘imported’ infections originating from Ituri. Nevertheless, several individuals who had contact with the patients have been identified, and some have been transferred to Ituri for essential medical monitoring.

Transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, Ebola virus disease has claimed over 15,000 lives across Africa during the past five decades. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the most devastating epidemic on record resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths between 2018 and 2020, highlighting the severe public health challenge this continent faces.