An Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 4,600 people in Congo has now spread to four additional countries — Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and France — with the World Health Organization describing it as the fastest-growing Ebola crisis on record.
The outbreak, initially declared in eastern Congo in mid-May, is triggered by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no authorised vaccine or treatment. Among the 9,500 people infected in Congo, at least 4,600 have died. Cases have been documented across central, western and eastern Africa.
Nigeria and Uganda report new cases
Nigeria on Tuesday became the most recent country impacted by the outbreak. A woman who arrived from Uganda approximately two weeks earlier tested positive for Ebola in Abuja, the capital. She began displaying symptoms on Oct. 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja on Oct. 11, where she subsequently tested positive. Health Minister Muhammad Pate said authorities had commenced tracing 44 individuals identified as contacts of the patient and were "doing everything possible to contain this case."
Uganda confirmed an Ebola outbreak on the same day as neighbouring Congo after detecting the virus in a man travelling from Congo. Initial cases involved Congolese patients who crossed the border seeking treatment for an unidentified illness before it was established they were carrying Ebola, according to health officials. The Ugandan outbreak was declared over by the WHO on Aug. 27, following 20 confirmed cases, including 15 patients from Congo. Eighteen individuals recovered while two lost their lives. More than 800 contacts were identified and monitored, and the country confirmed on Tuesday that no new cases had emerged.
Kenya and France confirm cases
Kenya announced its first Ebola case on Oct. 6, involving a man who had travelled from Congo via Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on Oct. 3. He tested positive for Ebola on Oct. 5 and died the same day. Ebola cases in Kenya have risen to nine, including four relatives of the first patient and four healthcare workers. Authorities have identified 135 contacts linked to the nine patients, with 134 currently in quarantine. Kenya's Health Ministry stated there remained no evidence of transmission beyond known contacts of the first patient.
France confirmed a positive Ebola case in June involving a doctor returning from Congo, making it the first and only nation outside Africa to record a case during this outbreak. The individual had returned from a humanitarian mission in one of the virus transmission zones in Congo and was admitted to a specialist facility in France. The person made a full recovery and was released on July 4, according to WHO.
A persistent issue in Africa's spread appears to be inadequate surveillance measures, as most initial cases were confirmed well after individuals began displaying symptoms or following travel.
