A 16-month-old boy and his mother were discharged after recovering from Ebola at a treatment center near Bunia in eastern Congo, a rare positive development in an outbreak that health officials say has infected 837 people and killed 196.

The rare good news in Congo’s worsening Ebola outbreak came in the form of a discharged toddler and his mother.

A 16-month-old boy and his mother, Kahindo Mireille Pierrette, recovered from Ebola and left the Rwampara Treatment Center near Bunia in eastern Congo on June 16, according to AP. They were discharged along with five other survivors.

The recovery is a bright spot in an outbreak that has continued to spread through Ituri province and beyond. Congo’s Health Ministry put the outbreak at 837 confirmed cases, 196 confirmed deaths and 49 recoveries, AP reported.

How the boy recovered

AP reported that the child had been severely ill, with bleeding from his mouth and nose, before he was taken for treatment. A doctor at the center said the boy tested positive on his second day in the hospital and was given antibiotics.

The mother and child are among the few recent recoveries reported from the outbreak, which has put enormous strain on local health workers and communities.

Why this outbreak is dangerous

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, AP reported. That matters because there is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain.

The outbreak was confirmed in mid-May, though officials suspect it began earlier. It is centered in Ituri province, where conflict and displacement have made contact tracing and isolation harder.

AP reported that the outbreak has also spread beyond Ituri into neighboring provinces and across the border into Uganda. The Africa CDC warned it could become the worst on record if it is not contained soon.

What comes next

Health authorities are expected to keep tracing contacts and monitoring suspected cases as they try to stop further spread in eastern Congo.

Reporters and public health officials will be watching for updated case and death totals from Congo’s Health Ministry and Africa CDC, along with any sign of additional cross-border transmission into Uganda.

Revision note

Initial automated publication.