AN OUTBREAK of Ebola has been declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo following a new strain.
A total of 65 people have already been killed across the Ituri province in the northeast of the country, and another 246 suspected cases have been recorded.
So far, only four of the deaths are laboratory-confirmed cases – but the new outbreak was confirmed after many suspected cases.
Fears are now mounting over the spread of the deadly virus in the area, which sits on the border with South Sudan and Uganda.
Officials at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the majority of the fatalities and suspected cases have been recorded in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.
“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases,” it added in a statement.
“Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation.”
Preliminary laboratory results have reportedly detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested.
So far, testing suggests a non-Zaire Ebola virus. Sequencing is ongoing to further characterise the strain, with results expected within the next 24 hours.
Dr Gabriel Nsakala, a professor of public health who has been involved in past Ebola outbreak responses in Congo, said that vaccine efforts would become clearer when the strain in the new outbreak is confirmed.
Africa CDC said there is also risk of spread due to the intense population movement and attacks by armed groups that have killed dozens and displaced thousands in parts of Ituri province in the past year.
There are also gaps in contact tracing, the agency said, as authorities race to find those who might have been exposed to the virus.
An urgent high-level coordination meeting with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan is taking place today.
It will focus on immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, safe and dignified burials and resource mobilisation, among other areas.
The new outbreak comes about five months after the DRC’s last bout was declared to be over, leaving 43 people dead.
This also means that health workers on the ground have a high level of experience, in addition to existing infrastructure such as laboratories, said Nsakala.
“Now, the expertise and equipment need to be delivered quickly,” he added.
The Ebola outbreak follows the alarming spread of hantavirus, after cases were first identified on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius.
Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died since the outbreak on the Dutch luxury cruise ship, that departed Argentina on a polar expedition on April 1.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/health/16367069/ebola-outbreak-congo-kills-dozens/