WHO is rushing to contain Ebola in DRC as it confirms a third case

The World Health Organization confirmed a third case of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, as health officials rush to vaccinate residents and contain the possible outbreak.

Earlier this week, the global health agency confirmed that a woman died of the disease in Butembo, a town in North Kivu province and an epicenter of an earlier Ebola outbreak declared in June. The WHO has since confirmed two more cases, including one other person who died, said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program, Friday.

The number of people who may have been exposed to the virus has increased from more than 70 on Monday to 182 since Friday, Ryan said. He added that all but three people have been approached, and more than half of them had previously been vaccinated against Ebola during previous outbreaks.

“We see some benefits of the previous vaccination, but of course we have to look at the length of time the vaccine protects,” he said.

He added that new shipments of vaccines have arrived in Butembo this week. In Butembo, ultra-cold chain storage equipment is being set up and staff is being trained, Ryan said.

The DRC also has other therapies, including monoclonal anti-body treatments for Ebola, in the capital Kinshasa and another city, Mbandaka, Ryan said, adding that they will be shipped to North Kivu over the weekend. The DRC has enough vaccine for 16,000 people in the country, Ryan said, but it’s not clear how many arrived in Butembo.

The WHO is “still unclear about the original community source” of the first Ebola case, Ryan said, adding that the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research is sequencing samples of the virus at its main laboratory in Kinshasa to determine if the new cases related to the latest Butembo outbreak. Ryan said results are expected this weekend.

The Ebola outbreak declared in June lasted almost two years. It was the second largest in the world and by the time it ended, there had been a total of 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths, according to WHO.

The WHO noted that response to outbreaks in North Kivu province was particularly difficult due to ongoing violent conflict in the area, which Human Rights Watch says is occupied by more than 100 different armed groups.

Ryan said WHO is working with non-governmental organizations, the government of the DRC and other UN agencies such as UNICEF to respond to the new Ebola cases.

Unlike the highly contagious coronavirus, which can be spread by people who don’t have symptoms, Ebola is believed to spread primarily through people who are already visibly ill. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of people who are sick or have died from the disease.

Ebola has an average death rate of 50%, although it can vary by outbreak, according to WHO.

“Obviously two cases and now a third may not seem like many, many cases in light of what we are seeing globally with Covid, but we have been vigilant in anticipation of Ebola returning to Eastern Congo, and we will do everything we can. do what in our power to support the government in response, ”said Ryan.