The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the current Ebola outbreak in Congo began in February, months before its official declaration on May 15. According to the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, genetic sequencing has indicated that the outbreak started earlier than initially thought.
Dr. Janabi stated that some early cases were misattributed to other diseases, including malaria and typhoid, which contributed to the delay in declaring the outbreak. He noted that responders are struggling to catch up with the rapidly spreading virus, saying, “So we are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us.”
Outbreak Details
The genetic sequencing that revealed the outbreak’s start date was conducted under the leadership of Dr. Steve Ahuka, head of the virology department at Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research. The latest government figures show that there have been over 4,200 confirmed cases of Ebola, resulting in more than 1,900 deaths.
The WHO has assessed the global risk of spread as low, citing the fact that Ebola does not travel through the air, making it harder to spread than respiratory viruses. However, the outbreak is unfolding in challenging conditions, with strikes by unpaid health workers, threats from rebel groups, and misinformation about the virus.
Challenges in Combating the Outbreak
The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Early testing was conducted for the more common type of Ebola, contributing to delays in responding to the outbreak. Health teams are facing numerous challenges, including traveling on remote, unpaved roads, shortages of protective gear, and a vast population of displaced people struggling to find reliable water sources for washing hands.
The outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any other, including the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa that resulted in over 11,000 deaths. Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu stated that Ebola is spreading faster than efforts to fight it, with new cases doubling in some hot spots.
Impact on the Region
The outbreak is exacerbating existing healthcare challenges in the region, which has been affected by years of rebel conflict. Access to healthcare is limited, and some pregnant women and others are avoiding health centers due to fear of the virus, putting their lives at risk. The WHO has warned that the outbreak is spreading at an “alarming” rate, with between 60% and 70% of new cases recorded outside of contacts being monitored.
Helene Elliott is the senior reporter for News Raise. She covers Science news. She also has a keen interest in photojournalism. Helene holds a nomination for the prestigious Red Smith Award. She is married to author Dennis D’Agostino, a former publicist with the New York Mets.
