Trial of Ebola Treatments Begins in DR Congo
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) started in May. A trial evaluating potential treatments for the virus species responsible for this deadly outbreak has commenced, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Thursday that the first patient has been enrolled in the trial in DR Congo.
To date, the WHO has confirmed over 1,400 cases and 438 deaths related to the outbreak in the country.
There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo virus species, which is highly infectious and responsible for the ongoing outbreak.
The trial is sponsored by the WHO and coordinated by scientists from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in DR Congo, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Patients participating in the trial will be tested on two antiviral drugs.
Speaking from WHO headquarters in Geneva, Tedros stated:
"Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit."
DR Congo's Health Minister, Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, described the launch as:
"a significant step forward, offering renewed hope to patients, their families, and affected communities."
Background on the Ebola Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo began in May, although transmission had been occurring undetected for some time prior.
The WHO has declared the situation a public health emergency. As of 1 July, there have been 1,460 confirmed cases in DR Congo, with an additional 150 suspected cases and 452 deaths reported. The WHO also notes that 213 people have recovered from the disease.
Outside DR Congo, there have been 20 confirmed cases in Uganda, resulting in two deaths, and one confirmed case in France as of 1 July.
Ebola is caused by a virus that attacks the body's immune system and organs. It primarily infects animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can begin when individuals handle infected animals. The virus spreads through bodily fluids such as blood.
Congolese health authorities have indicated that the outbreak is currently confined to three eastern provinces: South Kivu, North Kivu, and Ituri.
However, reports from and AFP indicate that the body of a pregnant woman tested positive for Ebola in the neighboring Tshopo province. The woman reportedly died in Ituri before her body was transported by motorbike to Kisangani, the main city of Tshopo with a population of approximately 1.5 million people.
Additionally, an individual suspected of having Ebola reportedly escaped from an isolation unit in Ituri and later tested positive in the nearby Haut-Uele province.
Authorities have initiated contact-tracing efforts across Tshopo and Haut-Uele provinces.
People infected with Ebola typically become contagious only after symptoms develop, which can take between two and 21 days to appear.
Symptoms begin suddenly and resemble flu or malaria, including fever, headache, and fatigue.
DR Congo's health ministry has improved diagnostic capacity across the affected regions. Previously, four laboratories were testing for Ebola; this number has now increased to ten.
According to both the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and US public health authorities, the current outbreak has the potential to become one of the largest ever recorded, due to the virus spreading undetected for several weeks before confirmation.
International organizations have also warned that ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo complicates efforts to control the outbreak. The M23 rebel group controls large areas of both North and South Kivu provinces.
Vaccines must be developed for each individual species of Ebola virus, of which there are six known types. Only three of these species are known to cause outbreaks.
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