At least 100 people have died from Ebola in eastern Congo less than a month after authorities declared an outbreak of the disease, officials reported. The grim toll comes as health workers intensify efforts to slow the spread of the virus, which was discovered weeks after it began.
Attacks on health workers by angry residents, skepticism among locals, and ongoing armed conflict in hot spots continue to hinder response efforts. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment, unlike the more common Zaire virus responsible for most of Congo's previous outbreaks.
As of Sunday, there were 550 confirmed cases, with 101 deaths and 19 recoveries, according to the latest situation report released late Monday. The outbreak is concentrated in Congo's eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of cases.
Cases have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, and the disease has spread across the border to Uganda. The actual number of cases is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed weeks late, and contact tracing coverage, though improved, remains at 64%.
The rapid increase in cases is partly due to the scale-up of diagnostic capacities, allowing testing of backlogged samples. Health measures to limit the spread have disrupted daily life in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province.
Motorcyclist Justin Abekani said authorities have restricted them to carrying only one customer per motorbike instead of two. Survivors of Congo's 2018 Ebola outbreak, the second-largest in history, have warned that repeating past mistakes could lead to many preventable deaths.
Frontline health workers, with little pay or rest, have been attacked multiple times by angry residents and have been unable to reach some communities due to conflict involving armed rebel groups. Eastern Congo has long seen attacks by dozens of rebel and militant groups, some linked to foreign countries or the Islamic State group.
Conflict is constraining access for the response, disrupting surveillance and activities, and increasing the risk of undetected transmission, the World Health Organization said Monday. Nearly a million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N.
humanitarian office, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast province with dense forests, poor roads, and remote villages that can take days to reach. Tracing is also difficult among thousands of artisanal miners who regularly move between remote sites.
The WHO currently assesses the risk of spread to the rest of Africa and globally as low. "Patients can recover if they get the medical support they need," WHO Director-General Dr.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday during a visit to Uganda.