AILSA CHANG, HOST:
More than 4,000 people have gotten sick with Ebola, and at least 1,800 people have died. That's according to the Africa CDC. The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now the second largest on record. As NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports, health officials are starting to say that basic public health measures are inadequate to control it.
JONATHAN LAMBERT, BYLINE: Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya is focused on one important measure of the outbreak response.
JEAN KASEYA: If there is only one indicator that, as Africa CDC, we need to follow to say we are on good track or not is the contact tracing.
LAMBERT: Identifying people who came into contact with known cases and thus could be sick themselves can help officials stay ahead of the virus. But right now about 70- to 80% of new cases are popping up outside of contact lists. That means officials aren't keeping up.
KASEYA: The outbreak is so far and we are trying to follow.
LAMBERT: Officials say 25- to 30,000 more contact tracers are needed to catch up to the virus. They started hiring and training them, but that takes time. Heather Kerr is country director for the International Rescue Committee in DRC.
HEATHER KERR: It's a really difficult job, if you like, but their job is to follow the contacts. And then when they find them, they have to persuade them that if they have any signs of Ebola, that they should go to a treatment center. And they often meet resistance.
LAMBERT: Some question whether Ebola is real. Others wonder why responders only come for Ebola and not all their other health problems. Overall, this dynamic has stalled out the response, says Placide Mbala, director of clinical trials and science at Africa CDC.
PLACIDE MBALA: Only the public health measure will not be enough to quickly control or stop this outbreak.
LAMBERT: So officials are turning to other options. There are no approved vaccines for the species of Ebola spreading in DRC called Bundabujo. There is an approved vaccine that's designed for another species of Ebola. That vaccine is called Ervebo, and some scientists have been skeptical it could offer much protection here. But on Thursday, Africa CDC officials said they'd be going ahead with clinical trials to find out.
MBALA: The first trial can start within two or three weeks.
LAMBERT: Bundabujo-specific vaccines are in the works, but likely months away from helping. If Ervebo offers even a little extra protection, it could help turn the outbreak around more quickly.
Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF TOMMY GUERRERO'S "BY THE SEA AT THE END OF THE WORLD") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
