Ebola May Be Spreading Faster Than First Thought, WHO Warns

The World Health Organization, WHO, has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo may be spreading faster and wider than initially feared, as fresh investigations reveal possible underreported infections across several regions.

According to the WHO representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Anne Ancia, the deeper health officials investigate the outbreak, the clearer it becomes that the virus has already spread beyond the originally identified epicentre in Ituri Province. She disclosed this in an interview with the BBC, warning that insecurity, mass population movement and weak health systems are complicating containment efforts.

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say more than 513 suspected cases have now been recorded, with at least 131 deaths linked to the outbreak. One fatal case has also been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda, heightening fears of wider regional transmission.

A new modelling study released by the London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggests that the actual scale of the outbreak may be significantly higher than current official figures indicate. Researchers warned that there may already be more than one thousand infections due to what they described as “substantial under-detection” of cases.

The World Health Organization last week declared the outbreak an international public health emergency, with WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressing deep concern over what he called “the scale and speed of the epidemic.” He warned that the outbreak may have been circulating undetected for several weeks before it was formally identified on April 24.

The current outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is presently no approved vaccine. However, WHO officials say investigations are ongoing into whether existing antiviral drugs and emergency treatments may provide some level of protection against the strain.

WHO deploys emergency medical supplies, including protective equipment and medicines, to DR Congo as efforts intensify to contain the Ebola outbreak.

Dr. Anne Ancia told the BBC that the outbreak has already spread into South Kivu Province, a region already struggling with prolonged humanitarian instability. She also confirmed a reported case in Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, where more than 850,000 people live under tense security conditions linked to armed conflict.

She said frequent movement of displaced persons and cross-border migration are increasing the risk of transmission, especially in areas where health workers have limited access. “The more we are investigating this outbreak, the more we realise that it has already disseminated at least a little bit across borders and also in other provinces,” she said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also warned that Ebola could escalate rapidly if infected persons are not identified early enough. The humanitarian agency said weak healthcare systems, poor public awareness and delayed response mechanisms are creating dangerous conditions for wider spread.

In response to the growing health threat, several African countries have tightened border surveillance and strengthened public health screening procedures. Rwanda has temporarily closed parts of its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Uganda has advised citizens to avoid physical greetings such as hugging and handshakes.

Meanwhile, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, has confirmed that an American medical worker exposed to the virus in Congo is being evacuated for treatment abroad. German health authorities also confirmed they are preparing to receive infected foreign nationals for specialised care.

The WHO says emergency medical supplies, including protective equipment, medicines and surveillance tools, are already being deployed into affected areas as global health agencies intensify efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent a repeat of the devastating West African Ebola crisis between 2014 and 2016, which killed more than 11,000 people.

According to the WHO, Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons. Symptoms initially resemble severe flu, including fever, weakness and headache, before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea, organ failure and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding.

Source: bbc