Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday its optimism for increased patient recoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing Ebola outbreak, as the first confirmed survivor has successfully been discharged from treatment.
According to Anadolu Agency, Anais Legand from WHO's High Threat Pathogens Team communicated to reporters in Geneva that the patient, who was discharged on Thursday after receiving two negative test results, was the first individual in the current outbreak to fully recover after being admitted to an Ebola treatment center. Legand emphasized the importance of community support to recognize symptoms early, enabling prompt diagnosis and appropriate care.
The recovery is a significant milestone as health authorities continue to confront a strain of Ebola for which no approved treatment or vaccine currently exists. Legand highlighted that while past outbreaks of the Bundibugyo strain recorded mortality rates between 30% and 50%, the current outbreak appears to show lower fatality rates.
According to WHO data, the case fatality rate among confirmed cases is approximately 24.6%, and between 22% and 25% among suspected cases. As of Thursday, Congolese health authorities reported 125 confirmed cases, including 17 deaths, in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. An additional 906 suspected cases, including 223 deaths, are still under investigation. The outbreak has affected healthcare workers, with 16 confirmed cases reported among them.
The virus has also spread to neighboring Uganda, where seven confirmed cases, including one death, have been reported as of Wednesday. WHO stated all cases in Uganda are epidemiologically linked, with no evidence of community transmission.
Regarding potential treatments and vaccines, Legand mentioned that WHO and independent experts are evaluating several candidate treatments, including monoclonal antibody therapies and the antiviral remdesivir, possibly in combination. For prevention, the single-dose rVSV Bundibugyo vaccine, developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, is considered the most promising. Another candidate, ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo, from Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India, could be ready for efficacy assessment within months. WHO also advised that the licensed Ebola vaccine Ervebo should remain in research settings due to limited evidence of its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain.