Ebola in DR Congo passes 10,000 cases: what we know
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now passed 10,000 cases. Here is what the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN have reported. This explainer is written in our own words from UN News coverage, which can be reused with attribution, and each section links to the original reports. It is general information, not medical advice.
The numbers
Congolese health ministry data show 10,141 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths as of Monday 26 October. DR Congo declared the outbreak on 15 May. It is the country's 17th Ebola outbreak and its largest, and the second largest anywhere after the West Africa epidemic of 2014 to 2016. It began in the conflict-hit east and has spread to eight provinces, some of them hard to reach. WHO says more than 2,600 people have recovered and that testing and treatment capacity has expanded.
Why this outbreak is different
It is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, not the Zaire strain behind most past outbreaks. There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. WHO says early detection and supportive care improve the chances of recovery, and that stopping the outbreak depends on wider access to affected areas and on community outreach that builds trust.
The first vaccine trial
On Friday 23 October a clinical trial called TUMAINI, Swahili for "hope", began in the eastern city of Bunia, and four people were vaccinated at the launch. It uses "ring vaccination", which means offering the vaccine to close contacts of confirmed patients. The first candidate is Ervebo, which works against Zaire Ebola, so it is not yet known whether it protects against Bundibugyo. WHO expert groups have also reviewed two vaccines designed for Bundibugyo, one from the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India and an mRNA vaccine from Moderna, and said recommendations would follow this week. WHO's Dr Meg Doherty said people were walking into the site asking to be enrolled.
Kenya's cluster
Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on 6 October, a man who worked in DR Congo and returned via Uganda on 3 October. He died in a Nairobi hospital two days later. Kenya has since reported nine confirmed cases and two deaths, all linked to one group, and WHO says there is no evidence of spread in the community. On Monday 20 people who finished a mandatory 21-day quarantine without symptoms went home, while 98 contacts remain in quarantine.
What to watch
The key questions are whether the trial can show a vaccine works, whether responders can reach cut-off areas in the east, and whether new cases appear outside the known contact groups in Kenya.
Sources
Written by The Daily Globe in our own words from the sources listed above. Facts are as reported at the time of publication. See our editorial disclaimer or contact us about corrections.
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