Africa CDC declares continental emergency over Ebola outbreak

Africa CDC has declared a continental public health emergency over the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where suspected cases have risen to about 395 and more than 100 deaths have been reported.

The declaration was announced Monday by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. It comes after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Africa CDC said about 395 suspected cases and 106 associated deaths have been reported in Congo and Uganda. Most of the cases in Congo have been reported in the Mongwalu, Rwampara and Bunia health zones, while Uganda has reported two cases and one death in Kampala.

The new figures mark an increase from Africa CDC’s previous toll of 336 suspected cases and 87 suspected deaths, and from the figures cited by WHO as of May 16, when it reported eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Congo’s Ituri Province.

The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, one of the Ebola viruses known to cause severe disease in humans. WHO has said there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics specific to Bundibugyo virus, unlike the Zaire Ebola strain, which has caused some of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks.

Africa CDC said it was deeply concerned about the risk of regional spread, citing intense cross-border population movement, mining-related mobility, insecurity in affected areas, weak infection prevention and control measures, and community deaths outside formal health systems.

The agency also cited the proximity of affected areas to Rwanda and South Sudan, adding to concern that the outbreak could spread further in the region.

A Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, or PHECS, allows Africa CDC to lead and coordinate the response to major health emergencies across the continent. The agency said the declaration gives it authority to coordinate and support member states responding to the outbreak.

WHO has said there are “significant uncertainties” about the true number of infected people and how far the outbreak has spread. It cited suspected community deaths, deaths among health care workers and limited understanding of epidemiological links between known and suspected cases.