Congo seeks experimental Ebola antibodies, cases top 1,000 | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Congo is seeking access to an experimental antibody treatment targeting multiple strains of Ebola as confirmed infections and deaths continue to rise in the country’s conflict-torn east.
The Democratic Republic of Congo reported 121 confirmed Ebola cases and 17 confirmed deaths as of May 26, while suspected cases climbed to 1,077 and suspected deaths reached 238, according to health ministry data released on Wednesday. Sixteen new confirmed infections were reported in Ituri province alone, the ministry said.
Eastern Congo is facing a “catastrophic collision” of war and disease as fighting and displacement accelerate the spread of Ebola and undermine efforts to isolate patients and trace contacts, World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Wednesday ahead of a planned visit to the country on Thursday.
“We cannot build trust in the community or isolate the sick while the bombs are falling,” Tedros said in a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The outbreak is straining fragile health systems in eastern Congo, where violence, mass displacement and distrust of authorities are complicating efforts to stop the spread of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Health officials acknowledged ongoing operational problems including poor contact tracing, delays in lab results, shortages of protective equipment and delays in setting up isolation facilities.
Congo has formally requested access to an experimental monoclonal antibody developed in the US that has shown activity against the Zaire, Sudan and Bundibugyo strains of Ebola, Health Minister Roger Kamba said. The treatment will likely be evaluated through clinical trials involving confirmed patients.
The Bundibugyo tribe has no approved vaccine or treatment. The WHO has warned that the epidemic is spreading faster than rescuers can stop it, as delayed detection has allowed the virus to circulate through eastern Congo and into neighboring Uganda.
According to the ministry, the epidemic is now spread across 13 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. New confirmed cases were also reported in North Kivu’s Oicha and Kalunguta health zones, local health officials said.
In a potentially encouraging sign, the first patient known to have recovered from the current outbreak has been discharged from hospital, local media reported, citing health officials in Ituri.
Containment efforts continue to be hampered by insecurity and attacks on medical facilities in the outbreak areas. On May 26 alone, more than 15,500 travelers were checked at checkpoints and border crossings, the Congolese health ministry said. To date, Kenya has screened more than 55,000 travelers at ports of entry and tested 10 suspected Ebola cases, all of which were negative, the country’s health ministry said, as East African governments stepped up surveillance across the region.
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