Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed at least 80 deaths from a fresh outbreak of Ebola linked to the deadly Bundibugyo strain, warning that no vaccine or specific treatment currently exists for the disease.
The country’s Health Minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba, disclosed this during a press briefing in Kinshasa on Saturday, describing the outbreak as highly dangerous due to its severe fatality rate.
According to him, the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, first identified in 2007, has no approved vaccine unlike the Zaire strain, for which vaccines are available.
“The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine and no specific treatment. It also has a very high lethality rate that can reach 50 per cent,” Kamba said.
The latest figures released by the country’s health ministry showed that fatalities had risen sharply from 65 earlier reported deaths to 80, with about 246 suspected cases already recorded.
The outbreak was confirmed in Ituri Province in northeastern DR Congo, a region bordering Uganda and South Sudan, raising fears of cross-border transmission due to heavy population movement within the area.
Ugandan health authorities also confirmed one Ebola-related death linked to the outbreak after a 59-year-old Congolese national died in Kampala.
The victim reportedly sought treatment in Uganda earlier in the week before later testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain. His remains were subsequently returned to DR Congo.
Health officials said the outbreak began after a nurse in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, reportedly arrived at a medical facility on April 24 with symptoms associated with Ebola.
The disease is known to cause symptoms such as fever, vomiting, severe weakness and internal bleeding.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had on Friday warned of a high risk of rapid transmission within affected communities.
Acting Director of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jay Bhattacharya, described the outbreak as significant, warning that the scale of infections could worsen if urgent containment measures are not intensified.
Ebola has killed an estimated 15,000 people across Africa over the last five decades, with the Democratic Republic of Congo recording some of the deadliest outbreaks.
Between 2018 and 2020, more than 2,300 people died during a major Ebola outbreak in the country, while another outbreak recorded last year claimed at least 34 lives before it was declared over in December.
According to the World Health Organization, Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids or blood from infected persons and can incubate in the body for up to 21 days before symptoms appear.
The WHO said it was already preparing emergency supplies, including infection prevention materials, for deployment to affected areas amid fears of further spread.
