Just six months after the last outbreak in Kasai was brought under control, the Ebola virus has resurfaced. The Africa CDC confirmed on Friday the emergence of a new outbreak in Ituri. With a provisional death toll of 65 and suspicions of a new viral strain, health authorities fear a major cross-border crisis.
Tests carried out by the National Institute for Biomedical Research have detected the Ebola virus in several samples examined.
On the ground, the speed of transmission is causing great concern among epidemiologists. The epidemiological situation is already reflected in grim figures:
• 246 suspected cases already identified.
• 80 deaths recorded to date.
• 13 positive cases confirmed by the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa out of 20 samples analyzed.
• 4 deaths formally attributed to the virus in the laboratory.
The epicenter of the virus is in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, areas with high population densities.
Health teams are also reporting suspected cases in the town of Bunia, pending official confirmation. The situation is considered a cause for concern due to the high population density, movements linked to mining activities, and difficulties in accessing certain affected areas.
Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, warns of the risk of the crisis spreading regionally: “What is particularly worrying is the high risk of regional spread due to significant population movements between the affected areas and neighboring countries, notably Uganda and South Sudan, combined with insecurity.”
Experts point out that the insecurity in certain parts of Ituri is hampering health interventions, particularly community surveillance and the rapid management of suspected cases. Response teams are, however, working to raise awareness and strengthen monitoring systems.
In fact, the health response will have to be carried out in a war zone. Ituri remains deeply destabilized by the activities of multiple armed groups, including ADF terrorists (affiliated with Islamic State) and local militias such as CODECO and Zaïre. This chronic insecurity leads to constant movements of displaced people, making contact tracing and the isolation of patients extremely complex.
As a reminder, the Ebola virus has a fatality rate that can reach up to 90%. Since its emergence in 1976 on Congolese soil, this disease has claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people across the African continent.
For its part, Uganda has confirmed a case of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo strain, according to tests carried out at the Wandegeya Laboratories in Kampala.
The confirmed case is a 59-year-old man of Congolese origin who travelled to Uganda for medical treatment. “National and regional task forces have been set up, and a mobile laboratory has been sent to a high-risk region,” the WHO said on Twitter.
Written by Akilimali Chomachoma