DRC Ebola Outbreak Spreads To Sixth Province As WHO Warns It Could Become The Deadliest In History

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a sixth province, health officials confirmed on Thursday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned the crisis is on track to become the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.

Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, said a death had been recorded in the previously unaffected Bas-Uele province. The man had travelled from Isiro, in Haut-Uele province, to Buta, the capital of Bas-Uele, where he died, according to The Guardian.

Six of DRC's 26 provinces have now been affected by the outbreak, which has killed more than 2,100 people out of more than 4,500 confirmed cases, according to the latest government figures.

On Track To Become Deadliest Ever

On Wednesday, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak could eclipse the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people and was the worst in history.

The death toll has been reached almost three times faster than in the West Africa outbreak. The current crisis is unfolding at an alarming pace, with health authorities struggling to contain the spread.

There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for the current outbreak. Clinical trials of two possible treatments began last month in Ituri province.

Health Workers On Strike Over Unpaid Wages

The response is being hampered by multiple challenges, including strikes by unpaid health workers.

Health workers at the Nizi treatment centre in Ituri province, one of the worst affected areas, went on strike on Thursday after saying they had not been paid for three months. The strike led to the temporary closure of the centre.

The outbreak is also unfolding amid threats by rebel groups, anger from long-traumatised communities, and misinformation asserting that Ebola is not real.

True Scope Still Unknown

The full extent of the outbreak remains unclear. While it was officially declared on May 15, the WHO now says genetic sequencing shows it began months earlier, in February.

Between 60% and 70% of new cases are recorded outside contacts being monitored, health authorities have said, indicating the disease is spreading far beyond what officials can track.

Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, said this week: "We are chasing the virus; the virus is ahead of us."

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola is rare but highly contagious and can be contracted from body fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and from contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing. The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.

The outbreak is centred in conflict-affected provinces in the northeast of the country, where displaced populations and limited healthcare infrastructure make tracking and treating cases extremely difficult.

What do you think needs to happen to bring this outbreak under control?

Sources:

• DRC's fast-growing Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth province - The Guardian