Confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have climbed past 9,000, according to figures from the Health Ministry, even as attempts to slow the spread are struggling.
The ministry said on Tuesday that it had recorded 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths. That means the death toll is close to half of all known cases.
Outbreak ranks among the deadliest on record
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and is now the largest and deadliest the DRC has faced. Worldwide, only the 2014 to 2016 West African epidemic has been larger, with 28,600 confirmed cases and more than 11,000 deaths across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, World Health Organization (WHO) figures show.
No approved vaccines or treatments currently exist for the Bundibugyo strain, raising concern about spread across borders. Last week, Kenya reported its first imported case, involving a Kenyan national who had been living in the DRC, passed through Uganda, and died in Nairobi.
Uganda’s earlier cases and outbreak timeline
Uganda had also reported 20 cases and two deaths earlier this year, but it was declared Ebola-free in August. The DRC outbreak was announced in mid-May, although some experts suspect it began as early as February. The virus is passed on through contact with bodily fluids and has reached seven provinces in the north and east of the country.
Mistrust and conflict hamper the response
Health workers and other responders face mistrust in local communities, where many believe the disease is a ruse that allows officials to siphon off money. The ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and government forces also makes it hard to move healthcare supplies to remote areas.
A local politician in eastern DRC was beaten to death in September after he defended the government’s Ebola response on the radio, according to his political party. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director, said on Tuesday that a clinical trial to evaluate vaccine efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain is being prepared for the DRC in the coming weeks.
