At least 282 confirmed cases of Ebola have now been reported in Congo’s ongoing outbreak as authorities in Brazil said they were looking into two suspected cases.
The two patients who recently arrived in Brazil from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the outbreak is ongoing, exhibited symptoms such as fever and chills.
The first patient is a Belgian traveller who came from Uganda to Rio de Janeiro. The Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), administered initial testing, which came back positive only for malaria. The patient remains isolated and the people who had contact with him are being monitored, according to health officials.
As soon as the man arrived at the Evandro Chagas Institute, he experienced symptoms including “cough, chills and diarrhea,” officials said. He will remain isolated until a conclusive diagnosis is made.
“The measure is precautionary, considering the patient’s travel history,” Fiocruz said in a press release on Sunday.
The São Paulo State Health Department also reported that a man hospitalized with suspected Ebola virus infection has tested positive for meningococcal meningitis, which was confirmed after a PCR blood test.
The suspected case of Ebola is still under investigation and the patient will be evaluated through laboratory and genomic analysis, according to the agency.
The 37-year-old man had recently travelled to the DRC and, upon arriving in Brazil, developed a high fever. He was admitted to the Emílio Ribas Institute of Infectious Diseases in São Paulo.
The Ebola outbreak remains focused in Congo’s eastern Ituri province, where 264 of the cases have been recorded, Congo’s Ministry of Health said. Congo has reported more than 1,000 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo virus, the current species of Ebola, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.
According to the health ministry, the main challenges in containing the outbreak include early detection and rapid isolation of cases, rigorous contact tracing, safe and dignified burials and strengthening infection prevention and control in health facilities.
The contact tracing coverage rate so far is 45 per cent with 220 suspected cases under investigation, the ministry said.
Five patients, who are all health workers, have recovered from the rare type of Ebola virus, the head of the World Health Organization said Sunday during a visit to Bunia in eastern Congo.
“Four people will be discharged today and there was one that was discharged the day before yesterday,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said during the opening of a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province.
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“Of course, we’re still working on vaccines and treatments but that doesn’t mean that people cannot recover from Ebola,” he added.
“Your courage gives hope and your living story that this outbreak can be stopped,” Ghebreyesus told the four nurses and a laboratory worker.
Baraka Bulambulu, one of those who recovered, told The Associated Press on Sunday that community members feared contracting an unknown illness from them, keeping their distance while delivering food and medicine.
He said the uncertainty was overwhelming as he and other patients believed they might die without knowing what disease they had, though testing eventually confirmed Ebola.
“Being able to come out of this alive is an immense source of happiness,” Bulambulu said. “Many people who were in the same situation died.”
Ezo Étienne, a nurse, said his symptoms began during ward rounds when he suddenly felt dizzy, then rapidly deteriorated into vomiting, intense itching, severe diarrhea and extreme weakness. He was tested seven times before Ebola was confirmed.
His treatment remained purely to treat the symptoms: medications to control vomiting, fluids to prevent dehydration and pain relievers. “That was all they could provide,” he said.
The WHO announced on Friday that a patient had recovered from the Bundibugyo virus, the current species of Ebola. It was the first documented recovery of a confirmed Bundibugyo patient during the current outbreak.
The health organization said authorities have reported 291 confirmed cases in Congo and neighbouring Uganda, including 43 confirmed deaths as of May 31.
On Sunday, the government of the DRC and the WHO released a joint statement, reaffirming their partnership and shared commitment to protect the health and well-being of the people of Ituri Province and the nation at large.
The statement was released during Ghebreyesus’ visit to Congo’s Bunia, which “comes at a challenging time, as the country responds to an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus,” according to the statement.
“The Ministry of Health reports a rapidly evolving situation, with cases and deaths notified in several health zones of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. The Government, with support from WHO and partners, is intensifying surveillance, laboratory testing and patient care to interrupt transmission as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
“While the Bundibugyo strain presents additional challenges, including the absence of a licensed vaccine or specific treatment, proven public health measures remain effective in slowing transmission and potential full recovery. The Ministry of Health, WHO and partners are working to rapidly undertake randomized control trials on candidate vaccines and treatments,” the statement continued.
The WHO said that persistent challenges still include early detection and isolation of cases, contact tracing, safe and dignified burials, robust and controlled health facilities, as well as strong community awareness.
“The Government and WHO call on all communities to continue adopting protective behaviours, including regular hand hygiene, early care seeking in health facilities, and sharing accurate information,” the statement added.
“We sincerely thank our international partners for the support already provided to response operations, and we encourage sustained solidarity to bring this outbreak under control. Cooperation between countries must also ensure that borders remain open, and that entry controls do not obstruct the flow of desperately needed medical supplies and personnel,” the government of the DRC and the WHO said.
“Together, DRC authorities, WHO, Africa CDC and partners are working to strengthen coordination, mobilize additional resources, and ensure that life-saving interventions reach affected communities quickly and equitably,” the statement concluded.
Hundreds of youths in Kenya’s central town of Nanyuki demonstrated against the Ebola quarantine center for American citizens exposed to the virus at the Laikipia Air Base on Monday.
The protest comes two days after Kenya’s High Court suspended the establishment of the facility and the arrival of any foreign patients pending the hearing of a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog.
The two organizations cited Kenya’s fragile health system as the reason why foreign Ebola patients should not be quarantined in the country.
Last week, U.S. officials said that they were planning to send Americans who are exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them to the United States.
The quarantine and treatment centre being set up by the Departments of Defense, State and Health and Human Services will be designed for Ebola patients who need to get out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and receive care quickly, an administration official told The Associated Press.
Kenya has not recorded Ebola cases, but neighbouring Uganda has reported nine and closed its border with Congo.
—with files from The Associated Press