The current Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has the largest number of confirmed cases within the first month of any previous outbreak of the disease. The Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus has infected over 1,000 people and killed 267 in Congo and caused 20 infections and 2 deaths in neighboring Uganda. Experts believe that the virus was spreading for months before it was detected and officially declared an outbreak. Unlike previous outbreaks which were located in rural areas, this outbreak hit more populated urban areas.
The Africa Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) published a June 25 report in The Lancet warning of an expected 8,210 confirmed cases and 1,420 deaths by mid-September. Their computer model of a worst-case scenario suggests 66,000 cases by September.
There are indications that health workers have been effective at slowing the rate of transmission where they are able to work. Isolated communities that at first were reluctant to cooperate with health workers, now understand the severity of the crisis and request help. Officials are recruiting 20,000 health workers from the area to boost contact tracing and other efforts. However, a major difficulty in combating the disease is the humanitarian crisis where one million people have fled fighting in eastern Congo and are living in overcrowded displacement camps. There are known Ebola cases in at least three such camps, but health workers are unable to enter the camps due to the conflict. Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “We cannot stop this outbreak, without resolving the humanitarian issue.”
