WHO revises Ebola risk assessment: Congo at 'very high' risk - Does India have cases?

Following the rapidly increasing number of confirmed Ebola cases and deaths, the World Health Organization has provided an update on risk assessment. By placing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the red zone of the “very high” category, the agency revised its risk assessment.

Uganda and other countries sharing land borders with the DRC and Uganda have been placed in the orange zone in the “high risk” category. In the rest of the African region and globally, the risk of Bundibugyo Ebola remains low. The development came after the case fatality rate (CFR) rose to 17.4%, which equates to 93 deaths out of 534 confirmed cases reported from both countries.

Warning of a high risk of Ebola virus infection in the DRC, the WHO said in a post on X: “The epidemiological links and the full chain of transmission are not yet clearly established and the source of the outbreak is still under investigation.” It further cited the following reasons for placing Congo in the high-risk category:

Data obtained through June 6 put the number of reported confirmed cases at 19 out of two. This figure includes 14 imported and 5 domestically acquired, of which two deaths were reported in imported cases. Analyzing the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the spread of the disease has expanded considerably, as the number of laboratory-confirmed cases rose from 63 to 515 and the number of confirmed deaths from four to 91. No cases have yet been reported from India.

What is the Ebola virus?

Ebola virus is a zoonotic disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The deadly infection is suspected to be transmitted by bats. Humans become infected when they come into close contact with the blood or secretions of infected wildlife, such as bats or subhuman primates.

According to the WHO, the incubation period for the Ebola virus ranges from two to 21 days, and individuals are not infectious until symptoms appear. The WHO stated: “Early symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat are non-specific, which complicates clinical diagnosis and may delay detection. These symptoms then progress to gastrointestinal symptoms, organ dysfunction and, in some cases, hemorrhagic manifestations.”

How is the Ebola virus transmitted?

Ebola virus is a communicable disease that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected individuals, or contaminated surfaces or objects.

In closed and poorly ventilated spaces where infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are inadequate, such as healthcare facilities, transmission of the Ebola virus is particularly enhanced. Despite unsafe burial practices, the infection can be caught through direct contact with the deceased. There are no approved vaccines or specific treatments to control mortality. In addition, it is difficult to distinguish the Ebola virus from other endemic febrile diseases such as malaria without laboratory confirmation.