The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now topped 8,000 cases, with officials confirming 8,067 cases and 3,901 deaths since mid-May, for a 48% case-fatality rate (CFR). The outbreak is the second-largest in history, but the fastest-growing on record.
Despite some tentative remarks last week from DRC officials who suggested transmission may have peaked, the latest Disease Outbreak News update from the World Health Organization (WHO) describes an outbreak that is entrenched in seven provinces, with an early-September resurgence of activity.
Timely case detection remains a challenge
Ituri province is by far the hardest hit, with 6,032 confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak, including 868 new confirmed cases from September 1 to September 23. North Kivu is the second most affected province, with a cumulative 1,480 confirmed cases, including 567 reported in the past 21 days, the WHO said.
Most worrisome, the high CFR remains a sign that patients are not seeking supportive care early in their illnesses, and too many are dying in the community and not at treatment centers, the WHO said.
“The continuously high CFR, and especially the continuous high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care,” the WHO said. “These delays can contribute to preventable illness and deaths among people in affected and newly affected areas, while also allowing transmission to continue within households, communities, and healthcare settings.”
The outbreak is only the third since 2007 to be cause by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. The CFR of the previous outbreaks reported in Uganda and in the DRC in 2007 and 2012, were 30% and 50%, respectively. There are no vaccines or therapeutics targeting for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
Last week leaders from the G20 nations met in New York and committed $2.9 billion to fighting the outbreak.
“This unprecedented mobilization of cash and in-kind assistance must now be converted rapidly into disbursements, implementation and measurable results in affected communities,” the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a press release.
