DRC Ebola outbreak could have begun as early as January, WHO chief says | Global development
The head of the World Health Organization has said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could begin as early as January, giving the virus a “huge head start”.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the response was hampered by general travel restrictions and highlighted high levels of distrust in society and low levels of contact tracing as key concerns.
Since the outbreak was detected in mid-May, the Bundibugyo virus has caused 344 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 60 deaths, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 15 confirmed cases, including one death, in neighboring Uganda.
Tedros said that “the epidemic has provided a great advantage and we are still behind”, but the response is catching up, with treatment centers established in Ituri province, the most affected region of the DRC.
He called on countries that impose general travel restrictions, such as the United States, to lift these restrictions. “They are disrupting supply chains and hindering intervention,” he said.
He said contact tracing, an essential element of the response to any infectious disease outbreak, was made particularly difficult by insecurity and displacement in Ituri, with only 45% of contacts being traced.
“We need to increase this number above 90% to prevent the epidemic,” he said.
The number of suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo dropped suddenly from 1,000 to 116 on Tuesday as authorities worked through a backlog of tests to confirm or rule them out.
Tedros said that increasing laboratory and diagnostic capacity in the regions most affected by the epidemic, as well as in neighboring provinces and countries, is an important priority.
The first case detected in the epidemic was a nurse who went to the health center on April 24, but Tedros said that there were alternative scenarios.
“It could be January, February, March, April,” he said. “But now I think the focus should be on the response.”
He said insecurity is a serious obstacle; Some community leaders said during a visit to the DRC last week that they did not believe Ebola was real. He also said they were concerned the intervention would divert resources from other vital services.
There is currently no vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, but Tedros said the recovery of six people in the DRC and two in Uganda shows that people can avoid Ebola if they have access to care and go to health facilities as soon as they show symptoms.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has announced the launch of a multi-hazard research network where experts from the UK and international partners can provide rapid advice and evidence on emerging infectious diseases and other crises, including the current Ebola outbreak.
