A recent Ebola outbreak has raised significant concerns among health experts due to the lack of available vaccines or treatments for the deadly virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern after more than 80 deaths were reported. Although there are over 300 suspected cases, the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency; however, the WHO cautioned that the situation could potentially escalate beyond current reports.
Experts highlighted the alarming nature of this Ebola outbreak and its potential for a high mortality rate. The WHO confirmed a laboratory-confirmed case in Kinshasa, located approximately 1,000 kilometers from the outbreak’s epicenter in the eastern province of Ituri, indicating a possible wider spread of the virus. Rwanda announced increased border screening with DR Congo as a precautionary measure, despite WHO’s advice against closing international borders.
Health authorities disclosed that the current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, a concerning factor highlighted by Dr. Anne Cori, an Associate Professor at Imperial College London specializing in Infectious Disease Modeling. Dr. Cori emphasized the lack of vaccines or treatments for this virus, citing its highly lethal nature with an estimated 1 in 3 cases resulting in death.
While the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern to mobilize resources to combat the epidemic, Dr. Cori clarified that this strain does not pose a global threat as Ebola is not an airborne virus but spreads through close contact with infected bodily fluids. Another expert, Clinical Professor of Infectious Diseases Emma Thompson from the University of Glasgow, outlined three reasons for the concern surrounding this outbreak, including delays in detection, infections among healthcare workers, and the virus’s spread through human mobility networks.
This is only the third recorded instance of the Bundibugyo virus in the region, despite numerous Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The majority of cases, except for two reported in Uganda, have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.