Africa CDC To Use Vaccine For Prior Zaire Ebola Strain As Stop-Gap Against DRC Outbreak

Reported by: Mark Hallam with AFP, dpa, Reuters | Edited by: Darko Janjevic

African health authorities say they would start using a vaccine for the prior Zaire ebolavirus strain to treat the current outbreak involving a different, fast spreading strain known as Bundibugyo. The ongoing outbreak is centered in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The director general of the African Centres for Disease Control, or Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, told reporters in a videoconference on Thursday that there was evidence of the vaccine eliminating deaths, if not symptoms, in the test cases conducted so far.

The Africa CDC and the World Health Organization also plan to launch research checking for a possible mutation or some other abnormality in the current outbreak, as the virus spreads at a rate six to eight times faster than any past outbreak on record.

The warnings come amid continued strikes and protests in the hardest-hit regions by some medical staff complaining either of non-payment or of inadequate pay and conditions.

What did Kaseya say about the speed of the spread?

Kaseya was speaking from Brazzaville in the neighboring Republic of Congo,after meeting with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Kinshasa the previous day.

The Africa CDC chief said authorities estimated 4,000 cases have been confirmed by now, given that 3,973 had been confirmed as of Tuesday in the latest available data. That data also pointed to 1,801 confirmed Ebola deaths. The current oubreak was only declared in mid-May and is already the second-largest on record.

Compared to the West Africa outbreak, which took place from 2014 to 2016 and is considered the largest ever, the current strain was causing deaths 6 times faster.

“As Dr. Tedros shared with me yesterday, it’s time for the WHO and Africa CDC to conduct studies to check that there is no issue, additional issue, or maybe if the virus is not mutating, because the level of severity of this Bundibugyo outbreak is unprecedented,” Kaseya said.

“This outbreak is just expanding.”

Everyone in Ituri at risk

Kaseya said cases had now been logged in 51 health zones, compared to nine in May.

He also drew attention to the numbers of cases identified as a share of the contact tracing program’s size. During the most virulent and deadly outbreak on record, the Zaire strain outbreak in DRC between 2018 and 2020, one patient was identified from every 57 contacts identified as being at risk.

Across the border in Uganda, which says it has eradicated the small number of cases it experienced this year, it had an average of one confirmed case from every 41 contacts in the list.

In DRC this year, meanwhile, there was one confirmed case for every 10 people in the contact list. Kaseya said that in his estimation, a point had been reached where anybody in the hardest-hit city of Bunia or the worst-affected region of Ituri should be considered potential contacts.

What did Kaseya say about the Zaire strain vaccine?

Doctors have had only limited chances to treat or test against the Bundibugyo Ebola strain as it had been considered rare. There are also no recognized vaccines or treatments. However, medical experts have already started working on a new jab.

During the Thursday conference, Kaseya said that the Africa CDC planned to start dispensing an existing Ebola vaccine for the Zaire strain in the current outbreak. During limited testing, while people vaccinated against the Zaire strain did experience some symptoms, “we saw zero deaths among people who are vaccinated.”

He said that this “means there is a level of protection” provided by the vaccine.

Kaseya said authorities also planned to expand the use of the antiviral drug remdesivir in affected areas.

Neighboring Uganda had reported successes treating its limited number of cases with redemsivir. It recorded 20 cases and said that only two of the patients died.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many supplies of the vaccines or treatment were ready and available to dispense in a fairly remote region of the DRC that’s close to active insurgencies and other forms of conflict. Africa CDC’s Professor Placide Mbala said any initial rollout would be a relatively small trial.

What’s the latest on the stranded barge in Maluku near Kinshasa?

Meanwhile, authorities near the DRC capital of Kinshasa continued screening more than 300 people traveling on a river boat after the death of a passenger reported to have Ebola-like symptoms.

Health teams deployed a mobile laboratory to the vessel to conduct precautionary tests in Maluku where it was intercepted, northeast of the capital.

The city has so far avoided being exposed to the Ebola outbreak.

Kaseya on Thursday told reporters that the boat had come from Mongala province, where no Ebola cases have been reported. Prior reports had said the vessel hailed from Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, which is an affected area. Kaseya said that initially even the government had received this erroneous information.

He said health authorities and the government nevertheless decided to screen all passengers to try to minimize risk, with results still pending.

(Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.)