DR Congo Ebola responders are facing intense pressure as the deadly disease reaches an eighth province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo while investigators examine potential transmission risks in Nigeria.
Spread of the Disease Across Borders
Authorities in Abuja have confirmed their initial infection case involving a patient arriving from Uganda, which borders the worst-affected provinces in DR Congo. Dr Patrick Otim from the UN World Health Organization Emergency Response programme noted that investigators are currently piecing together the travel history of the patient to determine the exact exposure source. Nigeria has become the fifth country this year, following DR Congo, France, Uganda, and Kenya, to confirm the presence of the illness caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Kenyan authorities previously reported nine infections and one death involving a national who worked in DR Congo and flew back to Nairobi via Uganda. Meanwhile, Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths before officially declaring its threat over at the end of August.
Challenges and Response Efforts in DR Congo
The original outbreak in DR Congo was declared in mid-May, resulting in more than 4,600 deaths and 9,552 confirmed infections. Approximately six out of every ten deaths have happened outside health centres, pointing to persistent difficulties in stopping community transmission. The most recent province to confirm infections is Nord Ubangi, bordering the Central African Republic where ongoing armed violence continues to displace thousands of residents. Inside DR Congo, vaccination research is underway using the Ervebo vaccine, initially designed for the Zaire virus, to test if it offers protection against the Bundibugyo species. Dr Anne Ancia, WHO Country Representative in DR Congo, noted that initial community resistance and security issues complicated access in areas like the rural commune of Mangina in Beni territory, North Kivu province, where a WHO emergency response team arrived two weeks ago after securing access.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
