Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Over 4,000 dead

According to authorities, more than 4,000 people have already died of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Health authorities in the Central African country said 8,300 Ebola cases had been confirmed in the laboratory since mid-May and 4,018 people had died from the highly contagious disease. There are currently 842 people in treatment or isolation, 2,162 are considered to have recovered. The mortality rate is 48.4 percent.

“This is the fastest growing Ebola outbreak we have ever seen,” emphasized Wessam Mankoula, director of emergencies at the African health authority Africa CDC. In the 20th week since the outbreak was announced, the number of cases is 4.6 times higher than in the comparable week of the largest Ebola outbreak to date in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. The number of deaths is four times higher than in the 20th week of the outbreak in West Africa. It is believed that the outbreak in Congo may have been going undetected since February.

There is currently no vaccine or treatment for the current Ebola pathogen

Ebola fever is a life-threatening disease. The virus is transmitted through physical contact and contact with body fluids and causes a highly contagious fever with diarrhea and bleeding.

The current outbreak is particularly difficult to contain because there is currently neither a specific vaccine nor a specific therapy for the Bundibugyo-type Ebola pathogen. In addition, in the initial phase of an infection with the Bundibugyo pathogen, it is easy to confuse it with malaria, for example - this can contribute to delayed isolation and treatment of patients.

However, clinical trials to test two antiviral therapy methods have been running since July. Two further series of tests will examine whether the Ebola vaccine Ervebo also protects against the Bundibugyo type. Ervebo is approved and recommended for use in outbreaks of Ebola virus disease - previously called Zaire Ebola virus.

Children are particularly at risk

Children are particularly at risk from an Ebola infection: According to the Congolese Ministry of Health, at least 2,071 children and young people under the age of 18 have been infected with Ebola since the Ebola outbreak was officially declared. 961 of them died of the disease - almost every second infected child. 623 of the children who died were younger than five years. For children aged zero to four, the case fatality rate is 61 percent - compared to 48 percent for all confirmed Ebola cases in the current outbreak.

“The fact that almost every second infected child dies shows how urgently children need to be protected,” said Katharina von Schroeder from the Save the Children organization in the DR Congo. “We need more support for health care and for the affected families in the communities.”