Latest DRC Ebola eruption could be most fatal

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Ebola virus

from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
DRC Bureau
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) – ALL confirmed cases of the latest Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have resulted in death.

There have been four confirmed cases and an equal number of fatalities since the declaration of the epidemic on April 23 in the Mbandaka district of the northwestern Équateur province.

The latest positive case at the time of going to press was reported on May 19 in the Maman Balako health area in the Wangata health zone.

It is a 12-year-old child who died on May 20.

Three health areas are affected.

Others are Libiki and Motema Pembe.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that currently, 139 contacts were under surveillance.

“Response teams continue listing and tracing contacts around the new case,” the agency stated.

The agency added response partners were building on lessons learned and good practices from previous responses to control the outbreak and prevent its spread beyond affected and priority health zones.

However, they face several challenges, including community mistrust.

This is the 14th outbreak in the DRC since 1976, when the country was still called Zaire.

The worst in terms of fatalities left 2 280 people dead from 3 470 cases between August 2018 and June 2020.

– CAJ News

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