Ebola Cases Jump Almost 40% in One Week as Death Toll Tops 200

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has killed more than 200 people in its first month. Health officials say it is the worst Ebola outbreak ever recorded at this early stage. Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported the alarming numbers on Thursday. The outbreak has now reached 32 health zones across eastern Congo, and cases have also been found in neighboring Uganda.

So far, 894 cases of Ebola have been confirmed. That is nearly three times more than a previous outbreak in Uganda in 2000, which had 281 cases at the same point in time. The number of new cases jumped 38% in just one week. Dr. Wessam Mankoula said the real number is likely even higher because the outbreak was not officially confirmed until May 15 — weeks after it probably started.

This outbreak is caused by a rare type of Ebola called the Bundibugyo virus. Unlike the more common Zaire virus, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for Bundibugyo. In the early days of the outbreak, doctors were not even testing for it. Scientists are now working on experimental treatments called monoclonal antibodies, but none are approved yet.

Most of the cases — more than 90% — are in a region of eastern Congo called Ituri province. Cases have also spread to two other nearby provinces, North Kivu and South Kivu. In Uganda, 19 confirmed cases have been reported and two people have died. So far, 74 patients across Congo and Uganda have recovered from the disease.

One of the biggest challenges is tracking down everyone who may have been exposed to the virus. Health workers call this process contact tracing. Dr. Mankoula said that for every 800 confirmed cases, between 17,000 and 35,000 contacts should be on the tracking list. Right now, only about 4,000 contacts — less than 15% — have been found and checked on.

The Ituri region is especially hard to work in. Nearly one million people have been forced to leave their homes because of years of conflict in the area. Dense forests, poor roads, and remote villages can take days to reach. Thousands of miners who move between distant work sites also make it very hard to trace who may have been exposed.

Funding and staffing shortages are making things even harder. Countries and organizations have promised more than $900 million to fight the outbreak, but only $90 million has actually been released. Africa CDC says it needs 540 workers to respond to the crisis, but currently has only 84. Dr. Mankoula said officials are pushing partners to turn their promises into real money as quickly as possible.