On 8 May, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) of cases of Ebola virus disease in the remote health zone of Bikoro and in the vicinity of Iboko and Mbandaka. This is the ninth outbreak of the virus since 1976. Between 4 April and 17 May, 45 cases were reported, of which 14 are confirmed, three of them in health workers, and 25 deaths.

Indeed, one of the particularities of the current outbreak is that it affects the major city of Mbandaka with more than one million inhabitants, which has implications for the spread of the virus. Nine neighbouring countries, including the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, have been informed that there is a high risk of Ebola eventually crossing borders and support teams and staff have been mobilised in the affected areas.

In the meantime, WHO's Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited the affected areas to assess the response to the disease and immediately convened the first meeting of the committee Ebola outbreak emergency under the International Health Regulations (2005).

Since then, WHO has deployed several dozen experts, is coordinating partners, providing life-saving health supplies and equipment, and supporting infection prevention and control measures. Both WHO and the African Ministry of Health have made efforts to obtain and test samples, trace contacts and improve collection and management from data. In addition, a retrospective analysis of the chain of transmission has been initiated to better understand the outbreak.

For its part, the World Food Programme has assisted in setting up an air bridge between Kinshasa, Mbandaka and the affected areas. Flights are operated six days a week for the delivery of staff and distribution of materials.

In terms of prevention measures, efforts are being made to make water, sanitation and hygiene available mainly in health centres and schools. Hand-washing points have been installed in some 50 schools and it is expected that 72 more will soon benefit from similar measures.

In turn, isolation and treatment of the sick, safe burial practices for those who have died of Ebola and monitoring of people who have been at contact with the patients are essential. It is precisely these people and staff who are possible candidates to receive the vaccine. 

A "controlled" outbreak

At present, committee considers that the conditions for declaring a public health emergency of international concern are not met and experts believe that it can be controlled. Moreover, the use of the vaccine at research is another reason for optimism.

Ebola, discovered in 1976, is a virus that remains in certain animal species such as bats and can infect other animals or humans (zoonosis) and trigger the outbreak. Once in humans, the contagion is through direct contact with the blood and body fluids of the sick person ( contact ). It can cause serious haemorrhages and lead to the death of the patient.

Undoubtedly, all efforts will be too little to curb an epidemic whose most lethal spike took place in December 2013 when it spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali and Nigeria in Africa; Spain, France and the United Kingdom in Europe; and the United States in America, causing some 25,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths.

International coordination and the promotion of prevention are key measures to put an end to this and other diseases considered tropical to date, but which have been travelling around the world for years. However, in addition to these actions, the importance of research must be underlined.

Research into these viruses and others that already affect millions of people across the globe must be considered an obligation and an essential tool to achieve global health and development for all in the near future.