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Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are grappling with a fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the southern part of the country, where the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 31 of 38 confirmed cases have proved fatal. The death toll has nearly doubled in a week, underscoring the virulence of the virus as more than 900 contacts have so far been traced.
Vaccination efforts began on Sunday in the Kasai region’s Bulape locality, the epicentre of the outbreak. Dr Patrick Otim of WHO Africa said more than 500 healthcare workers and identified contacts have already been inoculated, with 760 doses delivered to Bulape and a further 45,000 expected in Kinshasa in the coming days to bolster the campaign.
Congolese authorities first declared the outbreak on 5 September. Within a week the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC) confirmed that infections had spread from two districts to four. Additional vaccines authorised by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision are due to arrive between Friday and Sunday, with deliveries into Bulape made in small consignments because of difficult access and limited cold-storage facilities.
