After the Hantavirus – Now Comes the Ebola Outbreak

While the world was following the outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, international attention has now turned to a new and far more serious viral outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the eastern parts of the country, an unusually deadly variant of Ebola is spreading, and according to health authorities, around 80 people have already died while several hundred are suspected to be infected.

The outbreak concerns the so-called Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus, a mutation for which there is currently neither an approved vaccine nor targeted treatment. Ebola spreads through bodily fluids and causes severe hemorrhagic fever with a high fatality rate.

According to the country’s health minister, the fatality rate is estimated to reach up to half of the infected cases, international media report. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the situation as an international public health emergency and has raised the alert level regarding the outbreak.

The organization warns that it is still unclear how extensive the spread of the infection actually is and is calling for greater international cooperation to map out the situation.

Media reports further indicate that the virus has spread to several parts of the country and has also reached the capital, Kinshasa.

The aid organization Doctors Without Borders is now preparing a major intervention in the area and describes the development as very serious. The organization warns that the security situation and difficulties with contact tracing could make it significantly harder to gain control of the outbreak.