Suspected Ebola cases triple in a week as WHO warns of rapid spread in DRC

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is assessed as a very high risk, with rapid spread and a sharp increase in suspected cases and suspected deaths. Almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths have been reported, rising from 246 cases and 65 deaths a week earlier. Medical supplies and tents outside a hospital in Rwampara, Ituri province, were set on fire while staff attempted to establish an Ebola treatment centre. A crowd was reportedly angry about not being allowed to retrieve a body, and strict burial infection-control protocols must be followed. Distrust of outside authorities is undermining the response, and rebuilding trust is a priority. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccines or treatments exist.

"The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo poses a very high risk to the country, the World Health Organization said on Friday, revising its threat assessment upwards. The outbreak is spreading rapidly, WHO leaders said, with almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, up from 246 cases and 65 deaths when it was first reported a week earlier. The situation is deeply worrisome, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general."

"On Thursday, tents and medical supplies outside a hospital in Rwampara, Ituri province, were set on fire as medics tried to set up an Ebola treatment centre. A crowd was reportedly angry at not being allowed to retrieve the body of a local man who had died at the hospital. The bodies of Ebola patients must be buried according to strict infection control protocols to prevent further spread."

"Tedros warned that significant distrust of outside authorities among the local population was causing issues for the response to the outbreak. Building trust in the affected communities is critical to a successful response, and is one of our highest priorities, Tedros said. The WHO's representative in the DRC, Dr Anne Ancia, said the incident in Rwampara would significantly jeopardise the response operation there."

"The outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no vaccines or treatments exist. Most cases are in the DRC's Ituri province, with a handful reported elsewhere in the country, and two in neighbouring Uganda. Rising case numbers may paradoxically be a good sign, indicating better detection, offici"

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