Ebola in the DRC: Doctors Without Borders Warns Situation Is More Dramatic Than Ever

Médecins Sans Frontières reports that the Ebola epidemic in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading unabated, with untracked cases threatening containment efforts and exacerbating a severe humanitarian crisis.

The Threat and Transmission of Ebola

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a viral illness with a high mortality rate. Depending on the virus strain, between 30 percent and over 90 percent of infected individuals die. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, secretions, and excretions of an infected person. Humans can also contract it from infected or dead animals.

MSF Deployment in Eastern DRC

Over 1,400 Médecins Sans Frontières staff members are fighting the Ebola epidemic in the eastern part of the DRC. The organization operates seven Ebola treatment centers and over 15 isolation wards in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo, collectively providing more than 480 beds.

Patient Admissions and Recoveries

Since the beginning of the epidemic, Médecins Sans Frontières teams have admitted over 1,362 patients, including 554 individuals with confirmed infections, and supported the recovery of 282 people who survived the disease.

Escalating Spread and WHO Data

Dramatic situation in the DRC. The Ebola epidemic is spreading. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, more than 3.6 thousand confirmed cases of Ebola infections in the DRC had been reported by August 1, Dr. Philippa Boulle, deputy medical director of Médecins Sans Frontières, stated in a release. The announcement was issued in connection with the visit of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the country planned for Wednesday, August 12.

Unprecedented Severity and Unidentified Cases

Two and a half months after the declaration of the Ebola outbreak, the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is more dramatic than ever, Boulle wrote. She emphasized that the epidemic shows no signs of slowing down despite undeniable progress in screening and contact tracing. New suspected cases are reported almost daily in new locations outside already identified transmission chains.

Gaps in Contact Tracing

She added that at the Médecins Sans Frontières-run Ebola treatment center in Bunia, 90 percent of admitted patients had not been previously identified as having contact with the sick, and in the entire Ituri province, only 59 percent of contacts were successfully traced. This is definitely insufficient to control the epidemic, she noted.

The Necessity of Tracing Transmission Chains

Controlling a highly contagious disease such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever requires the identification of the transmission chain. This enables the temporary isolation of individuals who have had contact with an infected person and prevents the virus from spreading.

International Appeal and Weather Threats

Médecins Sans Frontières appeals for the intensification of international efforts to control Ebola, especially as the epidemic deepens the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The organization warns that the approaching rainy season will hinder the movement of medical personnel and threatens to disrupt the operations undertaken.