Ebola Outbreak Response Escalates in DRC as Cases Rise
A recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic republic of the Congo (DRC)’s Kasai province is prompting a scaled-up response as the number of suspected cases climbs too 68, with 20 confirmed by lab tests. The Africa Centres for disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports cases are now appearing in four health districts – bulape, Mweka, Mushenge, and Dekese – raising concerns about potential cross-border transmission, particularly to Angola.
Currently,16 deaths have been recorded,resulting in a case-fatality rate of 23.5%. Nine patients are receiving medical care, including four in critical condition. Outbreak responders are actively monitoring 401 identified case contacts, with 398 currently under follow-up.
The outbreak, the DRC’s 16th and the seventh to affect Kasai province, appears to stem from a new zoonotic spillover, with the initial case being a 34-year-old pregnant woman who died on August 25th. Two healthcare workers – a lab technician and a nurse - also succumbed to similar symptoms. Authorities believe attendance at funerals of those who died before the outbreak was identified may have amplified the spread of the virus due to high viral loads in deceased individuals and unsafe burial practices.
Efforts to contain the outbreak are underway, including vaccination of frontline healthcare workers (68 vaccinated to date with 2,000 doses available) and the deployment of the monoclonal antibody treatment MAb144 (ansuvimab-zykl/Ebanga) – 100 doses have been transported to the outbreak’s epicenter in Bulape.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), in coordination with the DRC health ministry and the World Health Institution (WHO), is actively supporting the response. MSF teams are reinforcing triage protocols, providing essential supplies, and conducting training in infection prevention and control at the General Referral hospital in Bulape. A joint MSF-WHO Ebola treatment center opened within the hospital compound on September 9th and is currently admitting patients. MSF is also extending support to nearby healthcare facilities.
