Ebola Outbreak in Congo Passes 9,700 Cases and Reaches Kenya and Nigeria
The outbreak of Bundibugyo virus, one of the Ebola viruses, has killed more than 4,600 people since May. WHO calls the risk very high in Congo but low globally, and a vaccine trial has begun.
An outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus has reached 9,704 confirmed cases, including 4,687 deaths, across 66 health zones in eight provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as of October 20, the World Health Organization said in its October 23 Disease Outbreak News. Nearly half of confirmed patients have died. Of the 482 deaths since WHO's previous update on October 8, 307 occurred in communities rather than treatment centers, which WHO said shows continuing problems detecting cases early and getting people to care.
The outbreak, declared May 15, has now reached five countries. Kenya reported its first imported case on October 6, in a person who traveled from Congo through Uganda; it had nine cases, including one death, by October 20, all among known contacts of the first patient, with no evidence of wider spread. Nigeria confirmed an imported case in Abuja on October 20, in a patient who had traveled from Uganda. Uganda and France have also had cases.
WHO assesses the risk as very high in Congo, high for neighboring countries and low for the rest of Africa and the world, and is updating that assessment. It advises against restrictions on travel or trade with affected countries. On October 23, a Phase 2/3 trial of vaccine candidates against Bundibugyo virus, called TUMAINI, enrolled its first participants in Bunia. There is no licensed vaccine for this species of Ebola. The disease spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of sick people or contaminated materials, and people are not contagious before symptoms start.
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