San Francisco Frontiers - Ebola outbreak in DR Congo spreads to fourth province

The epidemic has claimed 360 lives out of 1,274 confirmed cases, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

The DRC declared its 17th outbreak of the viral haemorrhagic fever on May 15. This time, it is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.

Clinical trials are set to begin in the coming days, according to the WHO, which has issued an international alert over the disease.

The conflict-hit Ituri province is the epicentre of the latest outbreak, reporting 1,165 cases and 301 deaths, according to health authorities.

Scientists and aid workers say the real numbers are likely higher.

Until now, two other provinces had been affected: North Kivu and South Kivu.

Twenty cases, including two deaths, have also been reported across the border in Uganda.

Haut-Uele, bordering South Sudan and the Central African Republic, is now the fourth affected province.

One case was detected after an infected person travelled from Bunia, Ituri's capital, into Haut-Uele, according to a source at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB). That person has since died, another health source told AFP.

Authorities are now trying to trace the chain of transmission and identify contacts.

In many cases, the virus has spread at funerals, where the highly infectious bodies of Ebola victims are handled.

For weeks, aid workers, facing mistrust among local communities, have struggled to plan safe burials in affected areas to prevent contact with the dead.

In the DRC, as in much of Africa, funerals often last several days, during which family and friends traditionally touch the body of the deceased.

Health centres have reported incidents of angry confrontations after relatives demanded they hand over the body of their family member.

- Hard to contain -

Both Ituri and Haut-Uele are border regions with heavy cross-border movement and trade, which can speed up the spread of the virus.

Ituri has faced years of violence, with massacres carried out by local militias and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is linked to the Islamic State group.

The ADF has recently launched incursions into Haut-Uele, also troubled by armed groups from neighbouring countries.

The insecurity makes it harder to roll out the health response, which was already slow to get off the ground.

Health workers say the virus may have been spreading for months before it was officially detected, with some suspected cases dating back to January.

Although efforts have been stepped up in recent weeks, healthcare systems in the regions remain weak.

Facilities often lack even basic supplies such as protective equipment and disinfectants.

Ebola treatment centres, set up with support from the WHO and aid groups, are already overwhelmed.

According to the National Public Health Institute, they are operating at more than 138 percent capacity.

The outbreak has also hit medical staff, with 78 health workers infected while 18 have died so far.

Experts say the outbreak has not yet reached its peak, even more than six weeks in, and warn the crisis could last up to a year.

Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

The deadliest outbreak in the DRC came between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died out of 3,500 cases.

D.Robinson--SFF