Congo Ebola epidemic 'yet to peak' and could last a year, says Red Cross
Over 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine, have been reported in Congo
A Red Cross official said on Tuesday that the Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo had not yet peaked, and could last for a year.
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Over 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine, have been reported in Congo – 192 of them fatal.
The disease, transmitted through body fluids even after death, is spreading fast across three provinces, government data shows.
"It's very difficult to know exactly to what extent the epidemic is spreading ... but yes, the peak is, I think, not behind us, but in front of us," Bruno Michon, operations manager for the Red Cross said.
"We are afraid that this could last one year, to end this disease.”
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The response has been hampered by a lack of treatment centres and by community resistance to stringent hygiene measures, and health officials say that, over a month since the outbreak was declared, the true scale is still unknown.
Michon said that IFRC teams - which help with community engagement and safe and dignified burials of Ebola victims - had faced verbal abuse, threats and attacks in recent days.
"Building trust takes time. It requires honesty, patience, and humility, but in this outbreak it is not optional, it is life-saving," he said.
It comes as public health officials and hospitals in US cities hosting this summer's World Cup have been preparing for a range of infectious disease threats as 6.5 million fans travel across North America.
The risk that a traveller infected with Ebola could arrive in the United States during the 2026 World Cup is low but not zero, infectious disease experts have said.
During the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, arrived in a Dallas hospital with Ebola symptoms and was turned away before being admitted.
Two nurses were infected but survived.
That led to $260 million in US funding for Ebola preparedness training and response capabilities and 13 specialised treatment centres - all intended to help hospitals identify, isolate and safely care for suspected Ebola patients.