In an update on the rapidly evolving situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that beyond the several dozen confirmed cases of infection, there are almost 600 suspected cases of Ebola Bundibugyo virus and 139 suspicious deaths.
“We expect those numbers to continue to rise, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected.”the WHO Director-General told reporters in Geneva.
Uganda reported two confirmed cases of Ebola in the Ugandan capital Kampala, he added.
In the absence of vaccines or therapies for the virus, which Tedros highlighted is extremely rare and was last detected in 2007, WHO teams are already working with community leaders in the epicenter province, Ituri, to help prevent wider transmission.
Decades of violence in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have contributed to chronic vulnerability among the population, including health workers trapped in constant insecurity.
According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, there are more than two million internally displaced people in the affected provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where the provincial capital of Goma remains under the control of the M23 rebel militia.
“We always have a team in Goma and we always continue to provide support to the population. And this is what we will continue to do during this outbreak… we never left Goma during all the insecurity that happened, so we will continue to stay to provide security to the community we serve,” highlighted Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO Regional Emergency Director (Acting) and Incident Manager.
danger zone
Underscoring the “intrinsically challenging” task of detecting Ebola outbreaks in Ituri province, where a new spike in civilian deaths was recorded in April, WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi explained that effective surveillance of the disease depends on reliable community reporting, local health centers being open and laboratory confirmation of infection. “In remote or insecure areas, it can take time to recognize cases,” he said, noting that the Ebola Bundibugyo virus was only identified after samples were transported about 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) across the country to the capital, Kinshasa.
“As soon as the WHO became aware of the [threat]Support was provided to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate as quickly as possible. And this ended with confirmation at the end of last week,” stressed Dr. Anais Legand, WHO technical lead for viral haemorrhagic fevers. “Investigations are underway to determine when and where exactly this outbreak began. “Given the magnitude, we think it probably started a couple of months ago, but investigations are ongoing and our priority is really to cut the chain of transmission.”
Wednesday's briefing followed a meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee held in Geneva on Tuesday, which confirmed that the Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, but not a pandemic emergency.
The chair of the panel, Professor Lucille H. Blumberg, highlighted that Ebola transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person, as was likely the case with a patient who died on May 5 in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, after his family decided to replace the coffin.
“So, It is not a casual contact, it is not an aerial contact. I think we should be aware of that.. And this refers to travel restrictions, which are not supported by the [International Health Regulations] RSI recommendations,” he insisted.
Professor Blumbert highlighted the challenges of controlling the outbreak given the current humanitarian crisis, security challenges, high population mobility and proximity to many borders.
“Resources, additional people… research and development of countermeasures [are] It is urgently needed,” he insisted, including intensified surveillance and identification of potential contacts.
In accordance with Article 12 of the IHR, Tedros on Sunday declared a public health emergency of international concern over the Ebola outbreak.
