Health Officials Warn Of High Fatality Rate As Uganda Records Cross-Border Ebola Death
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that a new Ebola outbreak has already claimed at least 80 lives, raising fresh fears across Central and East Africa as health officials warn that no vaccine or specific treatment currently exists for the deadly strain involved.
The Congolese government made the announcement on Saturday, revealing that the outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare but highly dangerous variant known for its high fatality rate.
Speaking during a press briefing in Kinshasa, the country’s Health Minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba, warned that the outbreak poses a serious public health threat because medical experts currently have no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.
According to the minister, the virus can kill up to 50 per cent of infected patients, making the situation extremely dangerous for affected communities.
Health authorities disclosed that the death toll had risen sharply from the 65 fatalities initially reported a day earlier, with officials now confirming 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths linked to the outbreak.
The latest outbreak was officially confirmed in Ituri Province in northeastern DR Congo, an area bordering Uganda and South Sudan, increasing concerns about possible regional spread due to heavy cross-border movement within the region.
Ugandan authorities also confirmed that the outbreak has already crossed into their country after a Congolese national infected with the Bundibugyo strain died in Kampala.
The 59-year-old man reportedly travelled from DR Congo before being admitted to a hospital in Uganda’s capital earlier in the week, where he later died from the disease.
Officials disclosed that laboratory tests confirmed he was infected with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola before his body was repatriated to Congo.
The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in 2007 and differs from the more common Zaire strain, for which vaccines are currently available.
Health experts explained that existing Ebola vaccines only work against the Zaire strain, which has historically recorded even higher fatality rates of between 60 and 90 per cent.
According to Congolese health officials, the outbreak is believed to have started with a nurse who visited a health facility in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, on April 24 after showing symptoms associated with Ebola.
Authorities stated that symptoms linked to the disease include fever, vomiting, bleeding and severe weakness.
International health agencies including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation have already warned about the high risk of transmission within affected communities.
The World Health Organisation disclosed that emergency medical supplies, including protective equipment and infection prevention materials, were being prepared for deployment to affected areas as containment efforts intensify.
Health experts also expressed concern about the scale of transmission due to uncertainty surrounding the outbreak and the movement of people across international borders within the region.
The Ebola virus, believed to originate from bats, spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, blood or contaminated surfaces involving infected individuals.
According to the WHO, Ebola outbreaks recorded over the past five decades have produced mortality rates ranging from 25 per cent to as high as 90 per cent depending on the strain involved and the speed of response.
The disease only becomes contagious once symptoms appear, while the incubation period can last up to 21 days.
The current outbreak marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
AFP
