Two Ebola-related deaths confirmed in eastern Congo displacement camp - UN refugee agency

Two deaths linked to the Ebola virus have been confirmed in an eastern Congo displacement camp, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported. The victims were internally displaced individuals residing in the Kpangba camp, a settlement currently housing 30,000 refugees. The UNHCR highlighted the high risk of transmission and the necessity for strengthened prevention and response measures.

Concerns about the full extent of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo are growing, with a World Health Organization expert warning of "blind spots" that could hide a wider spread of the disease than officially reported. The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain for which no treatment or vaccine is approved, has already spread to three new health zones and neighboring Uganda, with Congo reporting 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths.

Olivier le Polain, a WHO epidemiologist in Beni, eastern Congo, emphasized the need to strengthen surveillance in high-risk areas. Compounding the challenge is a critical shortage of isolation beds for patients, with only 250 available across the three affected provinces. The disease went undetected for weeks, leaving first responders playing catch-up. The WHO has not yet projected the epidemic's size, but the U.S. CDC has suggested it could rival the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which caused over 11,000 fatalities.

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There are still many blind spots in some areas that are high risk. Surveillance really needs to be strengthened in those areas.