Ebola: Congo passes 5,000 deaths, two suspected cases in Nigeria

The Democratic Republic of Congo has crossed the threshold of 5,000 deaths from the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, in the most extensive, rapid and lethal epidemic in the country's history.

According to the bulletin from the Institut National de Santé Publique (Insp), updated to 29 October, confirmed cases since May have risen to 10,351 and deaths to 5,026, for an estimated case fatality rate of 48.6%. The virus has reached 67 health zones across 8 provinces.

There are currently 1,101 patients isolated or being treated in care centres, while 2,788 people are considered recovered. The contact-tracing rate stands at 84.5%, a figure that reflects the Congolese health system's ability to identify and monitor people exposed to the virus.

Suspected cases in Nigeria

International attention has also turned to Nigeria, after a first case was identified in a 42-year-old woman returning from a trip to Uganda. The patient, the wife of an employee at the Swiss embassy in Abuja, was transferred in recent days to Switzerland on a medical flight together with her husband.

Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Ncdc) announced on social media that it had identified two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-eastern region of the country. “Entrambi gli individui sono stati isolati” (English: “Both individuals have been isolated”), the centre said, adding that identification and registration of contacts were under way, along with laboratory tests.

The Ncdc stressed that being classified as a suspected case does not mean it is confirmed Ebola; confirmation depends on laboratory results. Further updates will be issued as soon as verified information is available.

The speed with which the epidemic has spread in Congo raises questions about the resilience of local health services, already under strain, and about the resources made available by the international community to support medical staff engaged in contact tracing and the care of patients.