The Ebola epidemic, which has so far killed 360 people out of 1,274 infected, has spread to a 4th province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the entire northeastern part of the country, home to approximately 15 million people, now affected.
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15. The disease, which causes a hemorrhagic fever that is often fatal, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or treatment. Clinical trials are expected to begin in the coming days, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has issued an international alert.
The epicenter of the crisis, the full extent of which is still difficult to assess, is in Ituri, a remote province in northeastern Congo. The region has the highest number of cases (1,165) and deaths (301), according to the latest figures released on June 28 by Congolese health authorities. Scientists and humanitarian workers believe the official figures are likely underestimated.
Until now, three Congolese provinces had been affected: Ituri (bordering Uganda and South Sudan), neighboring North Kivu, and South Kivu. Twenty cases, including two deaths, have been recorded in Uganda. Haut-Uélé is now the fourth Congolese province to be affected. This region, which borders Ituri, shares borders with South Sudan and also with the Central African Republic.
According to a source at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) speaking to AFP, an infected person traveled from Ituri to Haut-Uélé, bringing the case to the region. A health source confirmed to AFP that the patient had died. Health authorities are trying to trace the chain of transmission and identify likely contacts. In many cases, the disease was transmitted during funeral rites. The body of an Ebola victim is extremely contagious.
For weeks, humanitarian workers deployed in the field have been trying, despite strong public distrust, to organize burials in infected areas respecting strict health measures to avoid any human contact with the bodies of the deceased.
In the DRC, as elsewhere in Africa, funeral rites often last several days. Families and relatives usually touch the body of the deceased during these ceremonies. Incidents have been reported in recent weeks at several health centers, notably caused by angry community members demanding the remains of their loved ones.
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Difficult response
Haut-Uélé shares the same characteristics as Ituri: both are lands located at the borders of several countries and rich in gold. These two factors combine to create areas of intense trade and transit, which facilitates the spread of the virus. These regions are also plagued by violence perpetrated by armed groups. In Ituri, massacres have been occurring regularly for about ten years, carried out by community militias or the ADF armed group affiliated with the Islamic State.
The ADF have recently made incursions into Haut-Uélé, a region also plagued by violence from armed groups from neighboring countries. The insecurity in which the Ebola epidemic continues to spread is hindering the deployment of the health response, which was launched late. Humanitarian workers and scientists assert that health authorities were slow to detect the virus. According to preliminary findings from epidemiological investigations, which are still pending confirmation, the first suspected deaths date back to January.
In Ituri, efforts have recently been stepped up, but health facilities, which often operate with limited resources in one of the world's poorest countries, still lack basic equipment and supplies such as protective gear and chlorine. Ebola treatment centers set up with teams from the WHO and several NGOs are already at capacity, with an occupancy rate of over 1,381 patients, according to the National Institute of Public Health (INSP). To date, 78 healthcare workers have been infected, 18 of whom have died.
Experts and health authorities agree that more than six weeks after the official declaration of the outbreak, the peak has not yet been reached, and that the crisis could last between six months and a year. Ebola, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years. The deadliest outbreak in the DRC resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths out of 3,500 recorded cases between 2018 and 2020.
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