Ebola outbreak accelerates in Congo as Uganda discharges final patient
WHO says Congo’s outbreak has passed 2,000 confirmed cases in two months, while Uganda has begun a 42-day countdown toward Ebola-free status.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Ebola is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a pace the World Health Organization says exceeds previous outbreaks, with more than 2,000 confirmed infections recorded in two months. The warning comes as neighbouring Uganda reported progress, saying its final Ebola patient has left hospital.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday that Congo’s 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases. In the current outbreak, he said, confirmed cases have already passed that mark, with 796 deaths reported.
Tedros said the outbreak is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. He also said that during the past month, the virus has spread faster than in any earlier Ebola outbreak.
Congo cases rise as transmission chains remain unclear
Congo reported 62 additional cases on Thursday, bringing confirmed infections to 2,073, according to figures cited by Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. The WHO has said the real number of infections could be at least twice the official count.
Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 after multiple deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich province in the country’s northeast where several armed groups operate. Most infections have been recorded in Ituri, though cases have been found in five Congolese provinces and in Uganda.
Ebola spreads through close contact and contact with infected bodily fluids. Tedros said more than 80 percent of newly identified cases were not on known contact lists, which he said shows that health teams are still missing chains of transmission.
The WHO chief also pointed to recoveries, saying 377 people in Congo have survived the disease. He said early detection and safe treatment can help stop Ebola and allow patients to recover.
Health workers strike in Ituri
The outbreak response in Ituri has also been hit by labour unrest. Health workers began a strike on Wednesday and blocked the entrance to Bunia General Hospital, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters.
Staff said they had not received compensation for their work since the outbreak began, despite working in difficult conditions. Bunia is in Ituri, the centre of the outbreak.
Uganda begins 42-day countdown
Uganda’s health ministry said Thursday that the country’s last remaining Ebola patient had been discharged. The ministry said the patient was a Congolese national who had recovered and was ready to return to his family.
The discharge starts a 42-day period after which Uganda can be declared free of Ebola if no new cases are found, the ministry said, citing WHO guidelines. Uganda has not reported a new case since June 22.
Uganda has recorded 20 cases since mid-May involving the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, according to the ministry. Fifteen of those cases were people who were infected in Congo and then travelled to Uganda.
The contrasting reports show two different stages of the regional outbreak: a fast-growing emergency in Congo and a containment milestone in Uganda. WHO and national health officials have tied the next phase to finding missed contacts, treating patients early and preventing new cross-border spread.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.