GENEVA, May 29 (Xinhua) -- As the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that early detection and community mobilization remain critical to saving lives, while potential treatments and vaccines are still being assessed.
As of Thursday, WHO estimates 906 suspected cases in the DRC, including 223 suspected deaths. Confirmed cases stand at 125 across Ituri, North and South Kivu, with 17 confirmed deaths. Uganda has reported seven confirmed cases, including one death, all linked to the DRC outbreak with no evidence of community transmission so far.
Anais Legand, a WHO technical officer, told reporters in a briefing in Geneva: "It's a disease you get when you care for someone - for your husband, your child or your mother," stressing that community involvement is essential to stop transmission.
On the medical front, WHO has gathered experts to review potential countermeasures. Two candidate vaccines have been identified for evaluation once doses become available, Legand confirmed. For prevention, the oral antiviral obeldesivir is being prioritized in a clinical study as a post-exposure measure for contacts of confirmed cases.
For treatment, three candidate therapeutics - the monoclonal antibodies MBP 134 and maftivimab, and the antiviral remdesivir - have been prioritized for clinical trials.
"We can scale up optimized intensive care and support communities to recognize symptoms early," Legand said, noting that the lethality of this strain ranges from 30 to 50 percent based on previous outbreaks.
WHO continues to work with DRC and Ugandan authorities amid a complex humanitarian context, including conflict and limited access in Ituri province. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has appealed to armed groups for a ceasefire to allow health workers to reach affected populations. ■
