Deadly Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Reaches New Milestone
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached a grim milestone, with more than 1,000 confirmed cases and 267 deaths, according to officials. A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official told a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday that this outbreak has set a record: the highest number of confirmed cases in the first month of any Ebola outbreak in Africa.
"This is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an Ebola disease outbreak in Africa," said Abdirahman Mahamud, the WHO's director of health emergency alert and response operations.
The WHO formally confirmed the outbreak on May 15, but experts believe the virus likely circulated for weeks or months before that.
Cases Spread to Displacement Camps
The outbreak has also spread into crowded displacement camps in eastern Congo, a region already plagued by conflict. Cases have been confirmed in at least three of these camps. Abdoulaye Wone of the International Organization for Migration said at the same Geneva briefing that 25 cases had been confirmed at the camps, including 14 deaths.
The WHO's Mahamud, who recently visited a treatment center in the outbreak's epicenter, the city of Bunia, noted that "the response needs to expand to keep pace with the expanding outbreak — this is beginning to happen."
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a relatively rare strain. This is the second largest Ebola outbreak in the DRC on record, following an earlier one that began in 2018 and claimed 2,229 lives.
Kenya Halts US-Backed Quarantine Facility
Separately, Kenya's Health Minister Aden Duale assured a Kenyan court on Tuesday that he had ordered an immediate halt to the construction of a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base. The facility was intended to serve as a treatment center for US nationals who might contract Ebola.
The halt order comes after Duale had been found in contempt of court on Monday for failing to suspend the construction as earlier directed. The move was met with public concerns and protests, reflecting local anxieties over the project.
Historical Context
The current outbreak is part of a broader pattern of Ebola outbreaks across Africa. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been more than 20 Ebola outbreaks on the continent since the 1970s. The most deadly outbreaks were in West Africa, killing 11,000 people between 2014 and 2016, and in Congo, with 2,229 recorded deaths starting in 2018.