Vaccination drive underway against fresh Ebola outbreak in southern Congo

The World Health Organization said Thursday that 31 of 38 confirmed Ebola cases have resulted in deaths in southern Congo, where authorities are battling a new outbreak of the deadly virus.

The latest figures show the casualty rate has nearly doubled since last week — from 16 — and that the disease is spreading rapidly as more than 900 contacts have been identified so far, according to the WHO.

Vaccinations began in the affected region on Sunday.

“More than 500 health care workers and contacts have received their vaccination, offering them crucial protection,” said Dr. Patrick Otim from WHO Africa’s program.

He said 760 doses have already been delivered to Bulape, the locality at the center of the outbreak, while another 45,000 doses are expected to arrive soon in Kinshasa to reinforce the campaign.

A fresh Ebola outbreak was announced by Congolese authorities on Sept. 5 in the locality of Bulape in Kasai, a south-central region in Congo close to Angola.

Last week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the disease had spread from two districts to four. An additional batch of vaccines approved by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision will start arriving from Friday through Sunday, according to WHO officials.

Doses have been flown into Bulape in small batches because of limited storage capacity and difficult access to the area, officials said.