Ebola Outbreak Kills Over 80 In Congo: Should India Be Concerned?

Eighty people have died in a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, the country's health ministry said late on Friday. Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba said in a statement that samples tested on Thursday had confirmed eight cases of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in the health zones of Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia. The viral outbreak came at a time when Hantavirus deaths were reported in the first week of this month.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person (blood, vomit, saliva, semen) or contaminated surfaces. It is not airborne like COVID-19.

So far, there have been 246 suspected cases of the virus, the ministry said. The suspected index case was a nurse who died at the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia after showing symptoms that included fever, bleeding, vomiting and severe weakness.

The DRC government said it has activated its public health emergency operations centre, strengthened epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, and ordered the rapid deployment of response teams.

Africa's top public health agency said earlier on Friday there was a confirmed Ebola outbreak in DRC's Ituri province, giving the death toll as 65 so far.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement it was convening an urgent meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to reinforce cross-border surveillance, preparedness and response efforts.

Ebola outbreak in Congo

The outbreak is the 17th in Congo since Ebola was first identified there in 1976. The country's most recent outbreak, in Kasai province, was declared over on December 1 after three months. Out of a total of 64 cases, 45 died, and 19 others recovered.

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Ebola virus disease is a severe and often fatal illness that is endemic to Congo's vast tropical forests. It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, contaminated materials or persons who have died from the disease, the Africa CDC said.

What the WHO says

The World Health Organization learned of suspected cases on May 5 and dispatched a team to Ituri to help investigate, but samples collected in the field initially tested negative, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing on Friday.

A laboratory in Kinshasa confirmed positive cases on Thursday, and the total number of confirmed positive cases is now 13, Tedros said.

The WHO has released USD 5,00,000 from its contingency fund for emergencies to support the response, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and clinical care, he said.

Should India be concerned?

India should monitor the situation closely, but there is no immediate reason for panic. The outbreak is currently localised in eastern DR Congo, not widespread globally. But India should be on alert. This is a situation to watch carefully, especially at airports and among travellers arriving from affected African regions. If the outbreak expands beyond Central Africa, screening measures could tighten.

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Why India should still stay alert

There are a few reasons Indian authorities may increase surveillance:

International travel: If infected travellers arrive from affected regions, imported cases are possible. Uganda has already reported one imported Ebola death linked to Congo.

Uncertain strain: Early reports suggest the outbreak may involve a non-Zaire Ebola strain, which is important because the commonly used Ebola vaccine works mainly against the Zaire strain.

Regional spread risk: Health agencies are concerned due to mining-related migration and conflict zones in eastern Congo that make containment harder.

(With inputs fom Reuters)

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