World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Yakub Janabi said local Ebola clusters were declining even as the outbreak spread across Congo, with infected people reluctant to seek care.
The Independent reported two cases in Nord-Ubangi, making it the outbreak’s eighth province. The Health Ministry said one patient died; the outlet reported both men were in their 20s and lived in Wapinda, a health zone bordering Bas-Uele province.
Janabi gave the interview to The Associated Press in Beni, eastern Congo, on Friday. He said health officials faced difficulty getting infected people into care, and some patients died in their communities.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The Independent reported that no vaccine or treatment has been approved for the strain. WHO says no vaccine or specific therapies are known for Bundibugyo virus, while early supportive care can be lifesaving.
The Independent linked the spread to population movements, rebel violence, community mistrust and difficult working conditions for frontline workers. It also described road and communication problems as barriers to reaching the region. The outlet reported that recurring armed violence in the Central African Republic had driven thousands to seek refuge in communities along the Congolese border.
The Independent described the outbreak as Congo’s deadliest. Bundibugyo has caused two earlier outbreaks, the outlet reported: one in Uganda in 2007-08 and another in Isiro, Congo, in 2012. The Uganda outbreak infected 149 people and killed 37, while the Isiro episode involved 57 cases and 29 deaths.
