Lead
Almost 300 people who have tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are unaccounted for, raising serious concern about gaps in tracking and the potential for uncontrolled spread of the virus, according to the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The DR Congo has confirmed more than 1,100 cases of Ebola since the outbreak was announced in mid-May, with at least 291 deaths. The outbreak, which has largely been confined to the DRC, has also seen 20 cases and two deaths in neighbouring Uganda, and last week France announced that a doctor who had just returned from Congo had tested positive for Ebola.
Coverage comparison
Reporting on the outbreak has focused on the humanitarian and public health challenges. Africa News, in its coverage, highlighted the unaccounted patients and the concerning gaps in tracking, using language that described the virus as "deadly" and the spread as "uncontrolled." The outlet also cited WHO projections and the risk of spread to South Sudan.
The Guardian, meanwhile, delved deeper into the humanitarian context, noting that more than 1 million people in the affected area are inaccessible to health workers due to conflict. The Guardian's report also detailed the strain of the virus, the WHO's use of computer models to simulate three trajectories of transmissibility, and the fact that 30% of new cases are among known contacts of confirmed cases—an indicator that community transmission remains significant.
Key claims
- Unaccounted patients: Dr. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa CDC, stated that the whereabouts of almost 300 people who tested positive for Ebola are unknown. "This is a concern that we have. Where are these people?" he asked.
- Case numbers and deaths: The DRC has confirmed 1,118 cases and 291 deaths, according to The Guardian. Uganda has reported 20 cases and two deaths, and France has reported one case in a doctor returning from Congo.
- WHO projections: New WHO projections, as reported by Africa News, predict more than 8,000 cases and 1,400 deaths by mid-September, with a 70% chance of the outbreak spreading to neighbouring South Sudan. The Guardian adds that the WHO used computer models to simulate three trajectories—low, central, and high transmissibility—and under a worst-case scenario, cases could exceed 60,000 by September.
- Access challenges: The Guardian reports that more than 1 million people in the affected area are inaccessible to health workers due to conflict. Dr Kaseya noted that many are living in camps where health workers have no access.
- Strain and treatment: The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which is also the strain responsible for the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. However, the current outbreak is the largest on record for five weeks after declaration. Authorities intend to recruit 20,000 community health workers from the local area to boost contact tracing efforts. Bed occupancy in Ebola treatment centres is at 95%, and the first trial of drugs that may be able to treat the Bundibugyo virus is due to begin in the DRC next week, as reported by The Guardian.
- Travel restrictions: The DRC authorities said on Thursday that anyone who had been in affected provinces would need to wait 21 days before they could travel onwards, as reported by The Guardian.
Efforts by Congolese authorities and those in neighbouring countries are working to slow transmission, the WHO has said, but the high number of unaccounted patients remains a significant concern for containing the virus.