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Ebola outbreak in DR Congo kills 131 as the virus creeps into new cities and an American doctor gets infected
The numbers are climbing fast. At least 131 people are dead. Over 513 cases are now suspected. The Ebola Outbreak tearing through the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading into new areas. Nyakunde. Butembo. The city of Goma. Each new location makes containment harder. The government says there is no need for panic. The map tells a different story.
An American doctor working in the country has tested positive. Medical missionary group Serge confirmed Peter Stafford contracted the virus. He is being evacuated to Germany for treatment. His wife, also a doctor, was exposed while treating patients. She has no symptoms and is following quarantine protocols. Two other doctors from the same group were also exposed.
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At least six Americans are believed to have been exposed during the outbreak. The CDC is supporting the safe withdrawal of a small number of those directly affected. The group could be taken to a US military base in Germany. That has not been confirmed. The CDC has refused to answer direct questions about the Americans caught in the crisis.
The United States has issued its highest level travel advisory. Do not travel to DR Congo. Entry restrictions are coming for non-US passport holders who have been in Uganda, DR Congo, or South Sudan within the last 21 days. Travelers arriving from affected areas will be monitored. Contact tracing will be carried out with airlines. Hospital readiness is being increased.
The strain behind this outbreak is the Bundibugyo Virus. There are no approved drugs. No vaccines. Uganda has already confirmed two cases and one death. The WHO has declared an international emergency. It warned the true number of infected could be far higher than what is currently being reported. The risk of local and regional spread is significant.
Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya said the number of suspected cases has reached nearly 400. Without vaccines or effective medicines, public health measures are all that stand between containment and catastrophe. Funerals are a particular danger. Community burials where bodies are washed and touched helped fuel the massive West Africa outbreak that killed over 11,000 people. That lesson cannot be forgotten.
The WHO has told DR Congo and Uganda to begin cross-border screenings immediately. Neighboring countries have been urged to enhance surveillance at health facilities and in communities. Rwanda is tightening its border checks. Nigeria is monitoring the situation. The virus does not wait. Neither can the response.
