The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province.
It’s caused by the most severe strain: Zaire Ebola virus.
Ebola virus disease was first identified in 1976 in a village near the Ebola River in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Sudan (now South Sudan).
Real-world effectiveness was 84% during the last Ebola outbreak in DRC.
In addition to vaccination, Ebola outbreaks can be controlled by early isolation of suspected cases, tracing contacts and quarantining them.
In Kasai Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported a fresh Ebola outbreak. The Zaire Ebola virus, the most severe strain, is the cause.
On August 20, a 34-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to the hospital and passed away five days later, marking the start of this outbreak. Two medical personnel who cared for her also contracted the infection and passed away.
There were 28 fatalities, including four medical personnel, and 81 confirmed cases by September 15.
There have been 15 previous Ebola outbreaks in the DRC, the biggest occurring in 2019 and the most recent in 2022.
However, according to genetic analysis, the outbreak most likely started as a result of an animal-to-human transmission rather than as a result of previous outbreaks.
What symptoms are present, and how does it spread?
The Ebola virus disease was initially discovered in 1976 in a village close to the Ebola River in Sudan (now South Sudan) and Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
The virus’s natural host is fruit bats. Contact with animals like chimpanzees, bats, antelope, or porcupines can infect humans.
The primary way that Ebola is transmitted is by direct contact with bodily fluids, such as blood. The onset of symptoms may occur two to twenty-one days later.
Symptoms can appear suddenly: fever, exhaustion, headaches, sore throat, and muscle pain come first, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash, bleeding, and shock.
The death rate, which is dependent on the availability of high-quality healthcare, can range from 50 to 90 percent in the absence of early treatment.
Ebola can spread quickly among family members, in medical facilities, and at funerals where a large number of people congregate and the bodies are handled or cleaned. Two-thirds of the more than 800 health workers who contracted the virus during the biggest epidemic ever recorded died in 2014.
Inadequate protective equipment, needle stick injuries, or close contact with infected patients can all expose nurses and other front-line staff to infection.
Read more: How are Ebola infections spreading among nurses?
The virus can also remain in survivors’ bodies for months or years in areas like the brain, eyes, or semen that are immune system-shielded.
Rarely, a survivor’s Ebola may “reactivate” and start new transmission chains.
Why are authorities concerned about health?
In 2013, the biggest Ebola outbreak in history started in Guinea and extended to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Over 11,000 people were killed and over 28,000 were infected.
This high death toll was caused by several factors, including a slow international response, delayed detection, a lackluster health system, rumors and mistrust of authorities, and customary funeral customs.
The DRC is currently dealing with several outbreaks at once, such as cholera, measles, and a significant mpox epidemic, all of which call for personnel, supplies, and care.
Meanwhile, armed conflict is restricting access to some communities and interfering with transportation.
Despite Kasai Province’s relative isolation, its closeness to Tshikapa City, the provincial capital, and Angola, a neighboring country where people travel for employment and trade, raises the possibility of further spread.
See also: Why the DRC Ebola outbreak is important and why it was deemed a global emergency.
This time, however, a vaccine strengthens the defense.
The Ervebo vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV), which was proved to be 100% effective against Zaire Ebola in a clinical trial when administered right after exposure, can stop this outbreak.
If administered 12 days or more after exposure, the vaccine had a 95% efficacy rate.
In the DRC’s most recent Ebola outbreak, real-world efficacy was 84%.
In order to support vaccination efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sent 400 doses and plans to send more.
In addition to vaccinating front-line workers, “ring vaccination” of contacts of known cases has begun.
Apart from immunization, early isolation of suspected cases, contact tracing, and quarantining can help control Ebola outbreaks.
Enough hospital space is essential for infected patients. The establishment of field hospitals to boost capacity was essential to managing the West African epidemic in 2014.
Transmission can also be avoided by following safer funeral customs and refraining from customs like washing or touching bodies.
Monoclonal antibody medications, electrolyte replacement, and rehydration are examples of early supportive care that can save lives.
Still, there are difficulties. Campaigns for vaccinations require secure transportation to far-flung locations and cold storage. Insecure settings make contact tracing challenging. And preventing infections, especially by providing staff with protective gear, necessitates a steady supply.
It is crucial to detect problems early.
Early warnings of disease outbreaks, like the current Ebola outbreak, can be made possible by open-source intelligence gathered from news, social media, and online reports of unusual disease activity.
Early in September, when the case report was submitted to the WHO, EPIWATCH, an AI-driven platform, noticed a dramatic increase in outbreak reports from DRC.
In Kasai, reports of symptoms also surfaced in the month before the official confirmation. These signals can provide authorities with early warning, particularly in situations where diagnostic capacity is limited, but they cannot take the place of laboratory testing.
