Congo reopens major airport at Ebola epicenter as official brace for long outbreak

(Bloomberg) — Congo reopened the main airport in the eastern province hardest hit by Ebola after health officials reported preliminary signs that the outbreak may be slowing despite ongoing efforts to trace exposed contacts and investigate suspected cases.

The airport in Bunia – the capital of Ituri province – resumed operations immediately after health authorities determined that screening and monitoring measures were sufficient to manage travel risks, DRC’s transport ministry said in a statement posted on social media on Monday. Passengers will be subject to temperature checks before departure and arrival.

Authorities are increasingly focused on how to maintain transport links, health services and outbreak operations during what could be a protracted outbreak. Vaccine developers are racing to bring Bundibugyo’s three experimental vaccines into human trials as health workers expand treatment and coordination capacity in Ituri.

The outbreak has caused 321 confirmed infections and 48 deaths in 23 health zones in the east of the country, according to a situation report published on Monday. Authorities were actively monitoring only 43% of identified contacts, less than half of the target rate of 95%, while 47 laboratory samples remained for analysis.

The report described Logo as the newly affected health zone, bringing the total number affected in Ituri province to 15. While health officials said “the current evolution of the disease shows a decline in community transmission”, they warned that data remains incomplete.

Separately, officials are assessing a facility in Bunia that could house a national Ebola response coordination center as part of efforts to strengthen control of the outbreak, which has spread to multiple provinces, Congo’s National Institute of Public Health said.

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