The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has begun vaccinating frontline health workers and people exposed to Ebola in the southern Kasai province, as officials race to contain the country’s 16th outbreak of the deadly virus.
- •The Ministry of Public Health declared the outbreak on September 4 in Bulape and Mweka health zones.
- •Since then, at least 68 suspected or confirmed cases have been recorded, with 16 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- •Unlike previous outbreaks concentrated in the conflict-ridden east, this outbreak has emerged in the south, where infrastructure is sparse and health access limited.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have met with the Minister of Health to coordinate an urgent response, and we are taking strong measures to bring this outbreak under control — protecting communities and supporting the health workers on the frontlines,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General.
The World Health Organization said 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been deployed to Kasai, with more shipments expected in the coming weeks. An international vaccine coordination group has approved the release of roughly 45,000 doses to Congo, supplementing the country’s limited stockpile of 2,000.
Ebola was first identified in Congo in 1976, becoming one of the world’s most lethal viral hemorrhagic fevers. It spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and can kill more than half of those infected. The current outbreak is linked to the Zaire species of the virus, the most common strain in Congo’s history of epidemics.
While no cases have been detected outside the country, health agencies across the region and elsewhere are on high alert. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has assessed the risk of transmission to the United States as low but issued a Level 1 travel advisory for Congo.
The outbreak comes as Congo continues to grapple with overlapping crises, including armed conflict in its eastern provinces that has weakened the health system and diverted state resources.
