The Democratic Republic of Congo officially declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo variant on May 15. However, the first infections likely occurred much earlier. Just how far back the start of the epidemic actually goes is still a matter of debate.
But one thing is certain: Congolese authorities did not respond in the best possible way, with several international organizations highlighting delays in the initial response. Congo is no stranger to crisis response. The country experiences Ebola outbreaks on a regular basis, and has in the past been praised for its expertise in combating the disease.
A good starting point for tracing the origins of the outbreak is the timeline provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to their data, the first known case, identified retrospectively, was a health worker from Mongbwalu in northeastern Ituri Province. The person, sources said, developed symptoms characteristic of Ebola around April 24 or 25.
They died at a medical center in Bunia, the capital of Ituri. To date, 80% of all cases have been reported in the province. It wasn't until May 5 that the WHO said it had been informed of "an unknown illness with high mortality reported in Mongbwalu Health Zone." The global health body then issued its first warning.
Ten days later, on May 15, the Congolese government announced the Ebola outbreak. Tests conducted by the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa had confirmed the presence of the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola. Three days later, the Africa CDC raised concerns about the speed of Congo's response.
About three weeks had passed between the onset of the first symptoms in the suspected index case and the laboratory confirmation — even though the fatality was a health worker. "This significant delay [...] highlights a critically low initial index of clinical suspicion among local healthcare providers, which facilitated wider geographic spread prior to the initiation of containment efforts," the Africa CDC concluded. According to reports gathered by DW, residents of Mongbwalu had already reported suspicious deaths as early as the end of April.
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