We are chasing Ebola virus - it is ahead of us, WHO warns

The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began at least three months before it was officially declared, meaning health authorities are still playing catch‑up, the World Health Organization warned. Since the declaration on 15 May, more than 1,900 people have died from the virus, making this the second‑worst Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Infection rates remain high, underscoring the difficulty authorities face in getting to grips with the disease’s spread. The epicentre of this outbreak of the Bundibugyo taxon of Ebola lies in the east of DR Congo, where insecurity has hampered control efforts. There is also no approved vaccine or any recognised therapeutic drugs, making treating Bundibugyo harder. “We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us,” WHO Africa director Dr Mohamed Janabi said at a press conference in Bunia, which sits at the heart of the outbreak. He cited research showing that the virus started spreading in February and was initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. Janabi also said that, in part because of insecurity, health workers are reaching only about 30 % of the cases, with the remainder dying at home. Traditional burial practices — where mourners touch the deceased’s body — and a distrust of health authorities in some communities have further complicated the response. But there are now several dedicated treatment centres in the east of DR Congo, and people are being diagnosed much more quickly. So far there have been 4,294 confirmed cases and 1,960 deaths, the DR Congo health ministry has said. The largest recorded outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, when 11,325 people died.