DRC Ebola claims 452 lives, says WHO

GENEVA – The Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus (BVD) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had claimed 452 lives among 1,460 confirmed cases as of July 1, with transmission continuing to spread into new health zones, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday. In its latest Disease Outbreak News update, the WHO said that as of July 2, Uganda had reported 20 confirmed cases, including two deaths, as well as one probable fatal case. The last confirmed case in Uganda was recorded on June 21. Separately, on June 24, French authorities notified the WHO of a laboratory-confirmed BVD infection in a medical doctor who had returned from the DRC. In Uganda, the outbreak remains epidemiologically linked to transmission originating in the DRC, with evidence of both imported infections and secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers. National authorities in the two affected countries, in collaboration with WHO and partners, are implementing an extensive set of response measures. A regional preparedness and prioritization framework continues to guide readiness activities across the African Region. According to the WHO, BVD is a severe zoonotic illness, with fruit bats suspected as the natural reservoir, and it spreads to humans through contact with infected wildlife or bodily fluids of symptomatic individuals. The incubation period is 2-21 days, with early non-specific symptoms like fever and fatigue often delaying diagnosis before progressing to gastrointestinal issues and hemorrhagic manifestations. WHO’s current risk assessment, updated on June 6, rates the risk as very high in the DRC due to sustained transmission, and high in Uganda and neighboring countries due to cross-border mobility and historical outbreak links. The risk for the rest of the African Region and globally is assessed as low, though sustained population movement and variable response capacities remain concerns for border areas. Past outbreaks of this virus in 2007 and 2012 recorded case fatality rates of 30 percent and 50 percent, respectively. – Xinhua