Ebola outbreak in Congo climbs to 782 cases
The rare Bundibugyo virus strain is spreading in eastern Congo with limited contact tracing. Unlike past outbreaks, this variant has no approved vaccine or treatment.
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The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Congo has climbed to 782, with 181 deaths, the Congolese Ministry of Health reported on Sunday evening.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the Zaire virus responsible for most of Congo's past 16 outbreaks. The current fatality rate is 23%, with 56 people having recovered so far.
The outbreak is concentrated in Congo's eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of cases. Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread across the border to Uganda.
Contact tracing efforts are severely hampered by conflict and displacement. Nearly a million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri, making it difficult to trace contacts as people flee attacks or move frequently. Tracing is also complicated among thousands of artisanal miners who regularly move between remote sites in the mineral-rich region. Health workers have faced attacks from residents skeptical of response efforts, further slowing containment work.
The number of cases is believed to be higher because the outbreak was only confirmed on May 15, weeks after it's suspected to have begun, and contact tracing coverage is currently at 56%—a sharp decrease from the previous week.