Death from Ebola at 31 in DR Congo: WHO

KIGALI, Rwanda/GENEVA

At least 31 of 38 confirmed Ebola cases have resulted in deaths since an outbreak earlier this month in the southern Democratic Republic of Congo, a health official said Thursday.

Patrick Otim, an official at the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa’s program, said at a news conference in Congo Brazzaville that progress has been made in surveillance since the outbreak was declared Sept. 4, whereby more than 900 contacts have been identified.

“It has been exactly two weeks since the outbreak was declared. So far, there have been 48 cases, of which 38 are confirmed and 10 are probable. Sadly, there have also been 31 deaths,” he said.

Otim said 15 patients are currently admitted and receiving care at the Ebola treatment center in the Bulape health zone, while two patients recovered and were discharged.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva that the UN agency has delivered more than 14 tons of medical supplies, deployed 48 experts and is helping run an Ebola treatment center with 48 beds.

Sixteen patients are currently receiving care, including the monoclonal antibody therapy, mAb114, and 14 patients have already been treated with it, he added.

Noting an appeal for $21 million launched by the WHO to help Congo scale up its response, he said: "We asked donors to support this response, and your investment now will help to save lives and stop this outbreak at the source."

The new outbreak was declared in Kasai province, neighboring Angola.

Women are more affected by the outbreak, accounting for about 55% of the cases, mainly attributable to the caregiving roles women play in the community, according to health officials.

Noting that vaccination remains a vital pillar in containing the disease, Otim said more than 500 health care workers and contacts have received vaccinations, offering them crucial protection.

He said 3,500 vaccine doses are available in the country, with more than 700 having been delivered to Bulape, and additional doses are expected soon in Kinshasa.

Otim cited poor infrastructure as a challenge in reaching some of the affected communities.

Ebola virus is a serious, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood or secretions of infected wildlife and then spreads through human-to-human transmission.