Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has infected 381 people and caused 64 deaths as of 3 June. The virus has been identified as the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no vaccine or treatment.
Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO Emergency Preparedness and Response Director for Africa, highlighted the challenge of addressing cultural beliefs attributing the disease to witchcraft, and emphasized the importance of involving traditional healers in the response.
Testing capacity has grown significantly from about 40 tests per day at the start of the outbreak to 800 tests daily, enabling results within 24 to 48 hours. This allows for faster confirmation or exclusion of suspected cases through community alerts and field investigations.
Contact tracing coverage has improved from about 25% to 45%, but remains well below the 90 to 95% threshold necessary to control transmission, indicating ongoing challenges in containing the outbreak.
The outbreak has also crossed borders, with Uganda recording 15 confirmed and one probable case linked to the epidemic. A Congolese national's travel through the United Arab Emirates to Uganda highlights the potential for rapid disease spread in the region.