Ebola Outbreak Response Underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Kinshasa – Health officials are responding to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) 16th Ebola outbreak, confirmed on September 4th in Kasai Province. This marks a resurgence of the virus in a region previously affected by outbreaks in 2007 and 2008. The current outbreak is attributed to the Zaire ebolavirus species, considered the most virulent and lethal strain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has initiated a vaccination campaign targeting frontline health workers and contacts of confirmed cases. an initial shipment of 400 doses of the ervebo vaccine has arrived in Bulape,the epicenter of the outbreak,with an additional 45,000 doses expected soon.
As of September 12th, 25 confirmed cases have been reported, alongside 68 suspected cases and 16 deaths. The outbreak has spread from two to four health zones, posing a “major threat to national health systems,” according to health officials. the affected area borders Sankuru Province, where a fragile health infrastructure could further complicate response efforts.
Investigations indicate this outbreak is a new zoonotic spillover event, not directly linked to the previous outbreaks in the same region. The epicenter is located near Tshikapa, the capital of Kasai Province, and approximately 100-200 km from the Angolan border. Frequent population movement between Bulape and tshikapa raises concerns about potential wider transmission. New cases have been detected up to 70 km from Bulape.
While officials believe the outbreak can be controlled with swift action within the next two weeks, they acknowledge this will be “difficult.” The WHO currently assesses the public health risk as high nationally, moderate regionally, and low globally.
The DRC previously declared the end of an Ebola outbreak in September 2022, following a single confirmed case in North Kivu province, which was linked genetically to the 2018-2020 outbreak that claimed nearly 2,300 lives. Ebola,first identified in 1976 in both the DRC (then Zaire) and South Sudan,is a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever characterized by symptoms including fever,vomiting,diarrhea,pain,and often,internal and external bleeding.Epidemiological investigations to identify transmission chains and the source of infection are ongoing.
