Africa faces most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak on record as DR Congo cases near 10,000

Africa is grappling with “the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in history”, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), as infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) approach 10,000 and newly reported cases in Kenya and Nigeria raise concerns over the virus’s spread across borders.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned Tuesday that the outbreak had already affected multiple countries across three regions of Africa, calling for urgent international support to contain further transmission.

Nearly five months after the outbreak was declared in the DRC, the epidemic has claimed more than 4,600 lives in the country and spread to eight of its 26 provinces, while imported infections have exposed vulnerabilities in cross-border disease surveillance.

CROSS-BORDER SPREAD RAISES ALARM

Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed its first case of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the same strain responsible for the ongoing epidemic in the DRC, becoming the fifth country to detect the virus since the outbreak began in May, according to the Nigerian health authorities.

The patient, a woman who had recently traveled through Uganda, developed symptoms on Oct. 7 and sought medical care at a private hospital in Abuja four days later. Her infection was confirmed on Oct. 20. Nigerian authorities have identified 44 contacts for monitoring, while the patient remains in isolation and is receiving medical care.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the woman had traveled to eastern DRC for business before transiting through Uganda in early October without symptoms. It stressed that her travel through Uganda did not establish where she contracted the virus, with investigations still underway.

Uganda, which previously reported 20 confirmed Ebola cases and two deaths linked to the DRC outbreak, was declared Ebola-free on Aug. 27 after completing a 42-day monitoring period without new infections.

The ministry reiterated Tuesday that Uganda still had “no confirmed active Ebola cases” and pledged to strengthen health screening and surveillance at points of entry.

Meanwhile, Kenya reported its ninth confirmed Ebola case on Tuesday, with all infections linked to an initial imported case involving a Kenyan national who had traveled from the DRC through Uganda and died in Nairobi on Oct. 5.

The latest patient was already in quarantine when symptoms developed. Kenyan health authorities said there was no evidence of transmission beyond the identified cluster, while 134 of 135 identified contacts had been placed under quarantine.

DR CONGO OUTBREAK NEARS GRIM MILESTONE

In the DRC, the outbreak continues to take a heavy toll despite signs of slowing transmission in some areas.

The country had recorded 9,637 confirmed cases and 4,646 deaths as of Oct. 19, representing a case fatality rate of 48.2 percent, according to the latest situation report released Wednesday by the country’s health authorities.

The eastern province of Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for 72.7 percent of cumulative infections. Neighboring North Kivu has also emerged as a major transmission hotspot, recording 2,117 confirmed cases and 1,191 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 56.3 percent.

The virus has also recently reached the northern province of Nord-Ubangi, bringing the number of affected provinces to eight and the number of affected health zones to 66.

The outbreak’s geographical expansion has also raised concerns over the risk of the virus reaching Kinshasa, the country’s densely populated capital of nearly 20 million people.

Former health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani Mbanda warned Tuesday that the detection of infections in the northern provinces of Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi had heightened the risk of imported cases reaching the capital through river transport, air travel and road networks.

He urged authorities to strengthen surveillance at airports, river ports and other entry points, warning that temperature screening alone could not identify infected travelers during the incubation period.

Mbungani also called for stronger community surveillance and infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, stressing that Kinshasa should reinforce its preparedness before recording its first confirmed case.

AFRICA CDC CALLS FOR URGENT GLOBAL ACTION

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned Tuesday that the continued geographical spread of the outbreak, coupled with a case fatality rate approaching 50 percent in the DRC, posed an extremely serious public health threat.

In a statement following Nigeria’s confirmation of its first case, Kaseya said Africa CDC has begun mobilizing support for Nigeria while intensifying its response in the DRC and Kenya and maintaining heightened vigilance in Uganda.

Calling for urgent international support, Kaseya appealed for flexible financing, medical supplies, diagnostic tools, trained responders and stronger community-based surveillance.

“We cannot allow this outbreak to spread to more countries or continue for another year,” he warned.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also called for sustained regional preparedness following Nigeria’s confirmation of its first Bundibugyo Ebola case.

In a social media statement Wednesday, Tedros urged countries across the region to maintain a high level of readiness to detect cases early, prevent further transmission and protect healthcare workers and communities.

The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccine or specific treatment has yet been approved, making early detection, supportive care and effective infection control crucial to reducing deaths and interrupting transmission.

The epidemic was declared in the DRC on May 15 and designated a public health emergency of international concern by WHO two days later. Africa CDC subsequently declared it a public health emergency of continental security.

The current Ebola outbreak has become the largest and deadliest ever recorded in the DRC and the second-largest Ebola outbreak globally, after the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic.

COURTESY: Xinhua