Dexteram3d ago
Kai Kupferschmidt
While everyone is watching hantavirus I'm actually much more eager to learn more about the Ebola outbreak in DRC's Ituri Province that Africa CDC has confirmed.
Early information makes it sound very large for an outbreak that has just been reported: "about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths"
May 15 at 9:27amWeb
Show threadKai Kupferschmidt3d ago
It also appears not to be Ebola Zaire, the Ebola species targeted by currently approved vaccines:
"preliminary laboratory results from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) have detected Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested. The results suggest a non-Zaire ebolavirus."
Show threadKai Kupferschmidt3d ago

"Africa CDC is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the urban context of Bunia and Rwampara, intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing, infection prevention and control challenges, and the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan."

https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-calls-for-urgent-regional-coordination-meeting-following-ebola-virus-disease-outbreak-in-ituri-province-drc/

Show threadKai Kupferschmidt3d ago
A lot of questions here that we will hopefully soon have answers to:
What species of Ebola is it?
How many of the suspected cases turn out to be Ebola?
Are there clear links between those cases or is this the tip of a larger iceberg?
Show threadKai Kupferschmidt3d ago
The good news is that DRC in particular has a lot of experience in handling Ebola outbreaks.
About half of all Ebola outbreaks have occurred there.
The last one was just last year in Kasai Province. That was Zaire Ebola and at least 28 people died in that outbreak.
Show threadMatthias Krämer3d ago
@kakape The DRC does not seem to deal with the outbreak.
Of the geographic names in the ACDC press release Rwampala seems not to be in the DRC, nor a town, but a district in Uganda.
Having named 3 different areas in 2 countries makes it not seem very probable to assume direct connections between the cases.
Mongwalu seems to mean Mongbwalu in Wikipedia, dominated by AngloGold Ashanti Kilo, a joint venture with a South African Mining Company.
Show threadKaktusKaputt3d ago
@kakape It sounds it might be a nasty outbreak, given the numbers…
Show threadJacques Caplat3d ago

@kakape

😱

Show threadToni Aittoniemi3d ago
@kakape But that didn’t happen to rich white people. Which is why it’s not front page news!
Show threadSnippety Snap (she/her)3d ago
@kakape
I am concerned also about H5N1 outbreaks closer to home, with dairy herds under quarantine in a neighboring state.