Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has passed 10,000 confirmed cases. The country’s public health institute reported 10,060 cases and 4,887 deaths in data through Oct. 25, Reuters reported Oct. 27. It is Congo’s largest Ebola epidemic and the world’s second-largest and second-deadliest on record, after the 2014-16 West African outbreak.

The outbreak, declared in mid-May, is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a species distinct from Zaire ebolavirus. The licensed Ervebo vaccine targets Zaire ebolavirus, and there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease. Care currently depends on early diagnosis, supportive treatment and measures to prevent transmission.

As of Oct. 26, Kenya had reported nine confirmed cases, including two deaths, in a cluster linked to a traveler from Congo. The man traveled through Uganda to Nairobi, where he died; eight additional cases were among close contacts, including relatives and health workers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the first patient did not contract Ebola in Kenya and that Kenyan health authorities have reported no community spread.

Nigeria reported its first case in the outbreak on Oct. 20. The patient had traveled from Uganda and was later evacuated to Switzerland for treatment. Reuters reported that she was the wife of a Swiss diplomat and had not traveled to Congo; Swiss authorities believed she contracted the virus in Uganda. Her husband, a close contact, was also taken to a Swiss hospital for isolation.

Community transmission continues in Congo, where cases have been reported across eight provinces. The World Health Organization says remote, densely populated areas, insecurity and high population movement complicate surveillance and response. It is supporting health authorities with contact tracing, laboratory testing, clinical care, supplies and community outreach.

A clinical trial of vaccine candidates against Bundibugyo virus began Oct. 23 in Bunia, in Congo’s Ituri province. The Phase 2/3 TUMAINI trial is being conducted with support from WHO and partners. The trial is research: it does not mean an approved vaccine is available for public use.

The CDC says no cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the United States and assesses the risk to the American public as low. As a temporary measure, travelers who have been in Congo during the 21 days before a flight to the United States cannot board commercial flights bound for the country.

Early Bundibugyo symptoms can resemble other illnesses, including malaria, making laboratory testing important for diagnosis, WHO says. ECDC notes that reported case and death totals are subject to review as authorities reconcile data. The immediate response remains focused on finding cases, following contacts and containing transmission while the vaccine trial proceeds.

Congo Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 cases as vaccine trial begins

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