Ebola kills 3,000 in DR Congo as control efforts aren’t measuring up
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Ebola kills 3,000 in DR Congo as control efforts aren’t measuring up
Ebola kills 3,000 in DR Congo as control efforts aren’t measuring up
Stephanie Soucheray, MAToday at 4:17 p.m.
Ebola
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now killed 3,007 people out of 6,186 confirmed cases, according to the country’s ministry of health.
Instead of slowing down, transmission has picked up in the past two weeks, with the virus further spreading in North Kivu province. A total of six provinces in the DRC now have confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a new paper in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, said the DRC’s efforts to control the virus “remained below established response targets.” On all five critical public health response indicators (case detection alerts, contact tracing, lab testing, isolation of infected people, and safe and dignified burials) the DRC is falling behind, the CDC said.
“Compared with previous Ebola outbreaks, the increase in cases in DRC is unprecedented, with approximately 5,000 cases in 100 days,” the report said. It assessed cases through August 21.
Most new cases from unknown transmission chains
Most crucially, almost all new cases are being reported outside of known transmission chains. The percentage of confirmed new cases previously identified as known contacts was 15% to 20%, the authors said, and the target in an Ebola outbreak response is above 90%.
The second largest issue was case contact identification, which is averaging 10.6 per confirmed case, instead of an ideal of 20 or more.
Other metrics are also showing significant delays. Laboratory testing was performed for 72% of validated alerts (target, >90%), indicating that a substantial number of suspected cases remain untested, the authors said.
“Substantial improvements in established outbreak control measures are crucial to rapidly detect and diagnose cases and isolate and provide treatment for infected persons, prevent funeral-associated transmission to prevent additional spread, and control this rapidly expanding outbreak,” the authors concluded.
WHO issues emergency vaccine guidance
Yesterday the World Health Organization (WHO) published new emergency guidance on the use of the licensed Ebola vaccine (Ervebo) during Bundibugyo virus disease outbreaks, recommending a ring-vaccination trial to start as soon as possible in the DRC.While some animal trials suggest the vaccine may offer cross-protection to infections caused by the Bundibugyo strain, there is insufficient evidence that Ervebo, designed for Ebola-Zaire, will offer protections in the current outbreak.
“If well designed and rigorously implemented,” the WHO said, a ring-vaccination trial would be of use in determining the wider applications of Ervebo in the DRC.