Congo Ebola outbreak tops 1,000 cases; Africa CDC warns: 'You must know the index case'

Confirmed Ebola cases in eastern Congo have reached 1,003, with 254 deaths, the country’s Ministry of Health said on Sunday, as the outbreak continues to strain response teams in Ituri province and beyond.

The outbreak was declared on May 15 and is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has no vaccines or treatment. Officials said 100 people have recovered so far, while at least 365 patients are either in hospitals or in isolation.

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Contact tracing gap

The scale of the crisis remains uncertain because contact tracing is still incomplete. The ministry said local authorities have only achieved 55% contact tracing coverage, and officials have not yet identified patient zero.

More than 35,000 people who came into contact with infected individuals had still not been traced as of last week, according to AP. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said, “If you want to control an outbreak, especially an Ebola outbreak, you must know the index case. We don’t have confidence in when this outbreak started.”

Spread in displacement camps

The outbreak is also moving through displacement camps, where overcrowding and limited isolation facilities are complicating containment efforts.

An 18-month-old girl died after testing positive in the Hungbe displacement camp, and at least 107 people came into contact with her, including family members, health workers, and people from other camps.

Congolese health official Dr. Emmanuel Musingusi Bulemu said, “We need to separate these patients from the community because they risk infecting others, but where can we put them?”

Children and wider humanitarian risk

Health workers have also reported deaths in other camps and warned that children account for a significant share of confirmed cases.

Nearly a fifth of confirmed cases are children, according to preliminary UNICEF data, while a reported 10 unexplained deaths at the Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia, where officials feared a possible outbreak among more than 20,000 displaced people.

The U.N. refugee agency has said at least 2 million people forcibly displaced from their homes live in areas at risk of Ebola in Congo, underscoring the wider threat posed by the outbreak.

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FAQs

Q1: What is causing the current Ebola outbreak in Congo?

Ans: The outbreak is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.

Q2: Why is the Ebola outbreak in Congo difficult to contain?

Ans: Health officials say incomplete contact tracing and the spread of infections in overcrowded displacement camps are hampering containment efforts.