The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has declared the 14th outbreak of Ebola, following a confirmed case was reported in Mbandaka, a town in Equateur Province (northwest), the office of the Ebola said on Saturday. the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa in a press release.
A positive case of Ebola virus disease has been reported in the Wangata Health Zone of Equateur Province, Jean-Jacques Mbungani, the DRC’s Minister of Health, confirmed on Saturday.
The patient, a 31-year-old man, began experiencing symptoms on April 5 and following more than a week of home care, he sought treatment at a local health facility. On April 21, the patient was admitted to an Ebola treatment center for intensive care but died later that night, the WHO regional office for Africa said, adding that investigations were underway to determine the source of the outbreak.
“Time is not on our side,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “The disease has taken a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The good news is that health authorities in the DRC have more experience than anyone else in the world in rapidly controlling Ebola outbreaks. “
“Many people in Mbandaka are already vaccinated once morest Ebola, which should help reduce the impact of the disease,” Ms Moeti said. “But vaccinators will need to act quickly to immunize those who have not been vaccinated before, or those who need an extra dose,” she noted.
The DRC has experienced 14 Ebola outbreaks since 1976. There have been six outbreaks since 2018, the most frequent rate in the country’s history. In Equateur province, previous outbreaks date back to 2020 and 2018, with 130 and 54 cases recorded respectively, according to the WHO.
In December 2021, the DRC declared the end of its 13th Ebola epidemic, where eight confirmed and three probable cases, including six deaths, were recorded in the province of North Kivu (northeast).
