The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to an estimated 131 among 513 suspected cases, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said on Tuesday. The previous figure was 91 deaths out of 350 suspected cases, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), which has declared this a global health emergency.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “extremely concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” which has started spreading into Uganda. “Early Sunday morning, I declared a global health emergency over the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda,” Tedros said at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday.
A meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee is scheduled for later Tuesday to discuss the Ebola outbreak, Tedros said. The committee comprises international experts tasked with providing technical advice and recommendations to WHO leadership.
The Bundibugyo virus strain causing the current outbreak has no approved vaccine or treatment. This Ebola strain has a fatality rate of up to 50% and has claimed over 15,000 lives in Africa over the past half-century. Minister Kamba noted that the current death figures are still estimates, and further research is needed to confirm whether all 131 suspected deaths were actually caused by Ebola.
The epicenter of the outbreak is in the northeastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda and South Sudan. This area is a gold-mining hub, leading to frequent cross-border movement. The virus has spread to neighboring provinces, up to 200 kilometers from the epicenter, and has crossed the DRC border.
Although no specific vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo strain, experts will discuss vaccine options. The Ervebo vaccine, produced by Merck and used for the Zaire strain, has shown evidence of partial protection against Bundibugyo in animal studies. “When there is an outbreak with a virus strain that has no countermeasures, we advise on the best approach,” said Dr. Mosoka Fallah, acting scientific director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We will review the available evidence and make a decision.”
A WHO official said 6 tons of Ebola-response supplies would be shipped to the DRC on Tuesday, including personal protective equipment and other medical materials. “We have already sent 12 tons. Another 6 tons will arrive today. This includes protective equipment for frontline health workers and test samples,” said Anne Ancia, WHO representative in Ituri province.
In a related development, Germany is preparing to receive and treat an American citizen infected with Ebola in the DRC, the German Health Ministry told AFP. “The U.S. government has requested support from the German government in treating an American citizen infected with Ebola in Congo,” a German Health Ministry spokesperson said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the citizen contracted the virus through work-related activities in the DRC and tested positive on Sunday evening.
