BUNIA, Congo (AP) – A 16-month-old baby and his mother have made a remarkable recovery from Ebola in eastern Congo, marking a rare positive outcome amid alarming warnings from Africa's leading health authority about the potential for the ongoing outbreak to become the worst on record. The two were released from the Rwampara Treatment Center, located near Bunia in Ituri province, which is currently the epicenter of the outbreak. They left the center on Tuesday, along with five other individuals who also successfully overcame the virus.
Kahindo Mireille Pierrette expressed immense joy about her child's recovery, stating, "If you had seen him before, you wouldn’t believe he could have this strength now." She had brought her infant to the treatment center at the end of May after he exhibited severe symptoms, including bleeding from the mouth and nose and representing an overall state of significant distress.
Upon arrival at the treatment facility, a PCR test confirmed the baby's positive status for Ebola on his second day of hospitalization. Dr. Modet Camara, a physician at the center, indicated that the baby received antibiotic treatment as part of his care. The Ministry of Health in Congo reported on Tuesday that there have been 837 confirmed cases of Ebola, with 196 confirmed deaths. However, health officials believe the actual number of cases is higher since the outbreak was only confirmed on May 15, several weeks after it is suspected to have started.
Since the outbreak declaration in mid-May, a total of 49 individuals have recovered, according to the Ministry of Health. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain that lacks an approved treatment or vaccine. In contrast, the more prevalent Zaire virus, which has an available vaccine, was responsible for most of Congo’s previous 16 outbreaks.
Over 90% of the reported cases in this outbreak have been concentrated in Ituri province. Additionally, cases have been noted in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, with instances also crossing the border into Uganda. The Director-General of Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kaseya, cautioned that unless the outbreak is swiftly contained, it has the potential to surpass previous outbreaks in West Africa and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. A significant concern lies in the fact that tens of thousands of contacts of infected individuals remain untraced.
The alarming statistics echo the dire situation a decade ago when an outbreak across several West African countries resulted in more than 28,000 cases and over 11,000 deaths, marking it as the worst Ebola outbreak in history.
The United Nations humanitarian office has reported that nearly a million people have been displaced in Ituri due to prolonged conflict, complicating efforts for contact tracing. Many individuals are fleeing attacks or frequently moving throughout the vast province, characterized by dense forests and poor road infrastructure, making it challenging to reach remote villages where individuals may reside. The situation is notably complicated by thousands of miners who frequently move among isolated sites within the mineral-rich region, further obstructing tracing efforts.
