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CDC Scientists Contain Ebola Outbreaks in Congo and Uganda

When reports of unexplained deaths trickled in from a remote section of the Democratic Republic of Congo in August 2007, CDC scientists knew what they might be up against. Twelve years earlier but only 185 miles away from the location of the current report, a group of CDC scientists had battled an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Reports from the region included descriptions of varied symptoms, making accurate clinical diagnosis impossible. Still, CDC scientists wondered whether the highly fatal, highly contagious Ebola virus might have struck again, this time in the murky context of other endemic diseases.

After receiving samples from the affected area, CDC scientists were able to diagnose Ebola virus infection in some patients. Evidence of Shigella dysenteriae and Salmonella typhi infection was also observed. The scientists alerted the World Health Organization and a CDC physician was deployed to assess the situation as part of CDC’s Global Diplomacy goal to be a trusted and effective resource for health development and health protection around the globe. On September 10, CDC’s Special Pathogens laboratory and a lab in Gabon confirmed the outbreak as Ebola. CDC and its partners were able to contain the outbreak in a few weeks through intensive contact tracing, patient management and laboratory testing of samples on site. CDC lab staff also trained Congolese scientists at the National laboratory in Kinshasa in diagnostic methods for Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

A short eight weeks later, in neighboring Uganda, Ebola struck again in the western district of Bundibugyo. This time, however, the virus was different. CDC scientists noticed that the virus was not behaving as would have been expected of some of the known Ebola strains. They realized that this was probably a novel or new strain of Ebola.

Further analysis confirmed suspicions – a novel fifth strain of Ebola virus was causing the outbreak. The team worked quickly to develop and deploy a laboratory assay for the new strain. CDC assembled two field teams to help contain the Ugandan outbreak. Recent upgrades to the laboratory in Entebbe allowed for same-day testing and reporting of results, accelerating efforts to bring the outbreak to an end.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by a virus from the same family as the one that causes Marburg hemorrhagic fever. Both diseases are rare, but can cause dramatic outbreaks with human-to-human transmission and 50%-90% fatality rates. It is transmitted by contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons. There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine.

To learn more about Ebola virus please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ebola