Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo ‘now covers an area bigger than France’ – The Irish Times

More than 2,700 ‌people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since an Ebola outbreak was declared in May.

More than 5,600 cases have been confirmed in the country in the past 100 days.

A separate Ebola outbreak in Uganda was declared over last month. It killed two people.

What is Ebola?

Ebola, most common in sub-Saharan Africa, is a rare but severe illness that can be caught from wild animals. The disease is caused by different viruses mostly associated with fruit bats.

A person can also become infected if they touch bodily fluids, such as semen, saliva, blood, urine or vomit, of an infected individual.

Three viruses are known to cause large outbreaks: Ebola virus, Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus. The outbreak in the DRC was caused by the Bundibugyo virus.

The average fatality rate is about 50 per cent, but rates have varied from 25 to 90 per cent in past outbreaks, according to the World Health Organisation.

What is happening in the DRC?

The current outbreak is the 17th such outbreak in the DRC and became the largest in the country’s history last month, with cases surpassing the previous worst outbreak that occurred from 2018 to 2020.

Efforts to contain the spread of the virus have had limited success, with many healthcare workers contracting the virus while treating patients.

About 160 frontline workers ⁠have fallen ill with Ebola, more than 40 of whom have died.

“The outbreak is growing faster and wider than the Ebola response,” Julien Harneis, the United Nations’ senior Ebola co-ordinator, said last week, describing conditions facing frontline workers as “brutal”.

“It’s now covering an area that is bigger than France,” Harneis said.

Médecins Sans Frontières has called for better training for health workers and community leaders on case detection, as well as improved infection prevention and control measures within communities.

Is there a vaccine?

There are no approved ⁠vaccines or treatments for the Bundibuguo virus.

However, the DRC government requested access to Ervebo vaccines from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile, managed by the International Co-ordinating Group on Vaccine Provision.

The group earlier this month confirmed 70,000 doses of the vaccine would be released initially, with 50,000 doses for frontline workers and 20,000 for patients in a clinical trial.

The WHO said it was “not known whether Ervebo may be protective against the Bundibugyo virus in humans”, but early laboratory and animal data suggest it may provide “some protection”.

Have there been any cases in Europe?

Two US citizens who contracted Ebola in DRC received treatment in Germany in recent weeks, according to the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).

Another imported case was reported by the French health ministry in June.

“Although there are still significant gaps in surveillance and epidemiology, the likelihood of infection for people living in the European Union/European Economic Area is considered to be very low,” the ECDC said.

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