DR Congo Ebola outbreak is fastest growing ever with 600 deaths

DR Congo Ebola outbreak is fastest growing ever with 600 deaths

African health authorities announced Thursday, that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fastest growing in history. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that 600 people have died from the virus since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

According to updated figures from the UN health agency, there have been 1,759 confirmed cases in the DRC. The current crisis is caused by Bundibugyo, a rare species of the virus. Unlike some other strains, Bundibugyo has no approved treatment or vaccine and is believed to have been spreading for some time before health officials detected it.

Wessam Mankoula, head of emergency preparedness and response for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told reporters the growth rate surpasses all previous outbreaks, including earlier Bundibugyo events and other Ebola-causing viruses. Mankoula compared the current situation to the deadliest outbreak in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, noting that the previous crisis had 994 cases in its first six weeks. In contrast, the current outbreak has seen 1,596 cases in that same timeframe.

The virus is moving faster than the deployment of resources, according to Mankoula, who estimated that the number of cases is doubling every 28 days.

"Unfortunately the virus is still ahead of our response. It's moving faster than deploying the resources to control the situation,"

Wessam Mankoula, head of emergency preparedness and response for the Africa CDC, via yahoo.com

Treatment and Containment Challenges

The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province, a mineral-rich area plagued by armed groups, though it has hit four provinces in total. This includes South Kivu, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has clashed with Congolese armed forces. UN rights chief Volker Turk has called for an immediate end to this fighting, warning that clashes could force further displacement of civilians into other countries.

The WHO reports a case fatality rate of 34 percent. While 285 patients have recovered, 304 suspected cases remain under investigation. Containment efforts are hindered by the fragility of the health system, persistent insecurity, and population movements, according to Anne Ancia, the WHO representative in the DRC.

Medical infrastructure is currently strained. Ancia stated there are approximately 700 beds across 22 treatment centers, with centers operating at about 90 percent capacity. Another 300 beds are in the pipeline.

Tracing efforts are also falling short of targets. While more than 10,000 contacts of infected people are being monitored, the follow-up rate is 82 percent. The WHO believes a 95 percent rate is required to control the outbreak.

Funding and Medical Response

Financial constraints are complicating the emergency. Tom Fletcher, head of the UN's humanitarian operations, noted in a communique that recent cuts in humanitarian funding have made the response harder in a region where millions already faced hunger, displacement, and weak basic services before the virus arrived.

To address the crisis, Mankoula stated that $1.4 billion is needed for the total humanitarian and disease response. He urged donors and partners to fast-track the disbursement of these funds to surge human and financial resources.

There have been some gains in diagnostic speed. Laboratory capacity has grown from 30 tests per day in Kinshasa to more than 2,000 tests per day via decentralized labs in affected provinces.

Medical researchers are now searching for a way to treat the rare Bundibugyo strain. On July 2, trials began in the DRC to evaluate the effectiveness of the antiviral drug remdesivir and the monoclonal antibody MBP134, testing them both individually and in combination.