- The new Ebola outbreak is the 14th since 1976.
- The current emergencies caused by the same disease occurred in 2018 and 2020.
- The WHO ordered to accelerate the application of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine against Ebola in the affected area.
The last two years have been full of challenges in healthcare. The Covid-19 pandemic generated one of the most serious crises of the modern era and its consequences remain in force. Although it is not the only problem because one more was confirmed today. It’s about a new Ebola outbreak that confirms how vulnerable humanity is.
In this case the Democratic Republic of Congo again it is the epicenter, with one of its northwestern provinces being affected. The regional director of the United Nations (UN) agency broke the news. He added that at the moment the disease is two weeks ahead, but trusts the country’s experience in control ebola.
This health emergency was declared after confirming a case in Mbandaka, a city in the northwestern province of Ecuador. This is the third outbreak in the province since 2018.
First victim of the new Ebola outbreak
So far, only one case has been confirmed. The patient, a 31-year-old man, began experiencing symptoms on April 5 and, after more than a week of care at home, sought treatment at a local health center.
On April 21, the patient was admitted to an Ebola treatment center for intensive care, but died the same day. After recognizing the symptoms, health workers immediately sent samples to test for Ebola virus disease. Investigations to determine the origin of the outbreak are ongoing.
“Time is not on our side. The disease has had a two week head start and now we are playing catch up. The positive news is that the health authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone in the world in rapidly controlling Ebola outbreaks,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO). ) for Africa after the news broke.
Fourteenth outbreak since 1976
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing its fourteenth Ebola outbreak since 1976. The current outbreak is the sixth alone since 2018, the most frequent period in the history of Ebola in the country. The previous outbreaks in the province of Ecuador were in 2020 and 2018, with 130 and 54 cases registered, respectively.
Efforts to curb the current outbreak are already underway. The deceased patient received a safe and dignified burial, which involves modifying traditional funeral ceremonies in a way that minimizes the risk of contagious fluids infecting attendees.
People who were in contact with the patient are also being identified and their health will be monitored. The health center where the patient was treated has been decontaminated.
WHO experts based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are supporting national authorities in stepping up key areas of response to the outbreak, such as testing, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and its treatment. Additionally, it is working with communities to support public health measures to prevent infections.
Vaccination about to start
Vaccination will start in the next few days. The country already has reserves of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine in the cities of Goma and Kinshasa. The vaccines will be shipped to Mbandaka and administered using a “ring vaccination” strategy, in which contacts and contacts of contacts are vaccinated to slow the spread of the virus and protect lives.
“Many people in Mbandaka are already vaccinated against Ebola, which should help reduce the impact of the disease,” said Dr Moeti, adding that “everyone who was vaccinated during the 2020 outbreak will be revaccinated.”
Ebola is a serious and often fatal disease that affects humans and other primates. Case fatality rates have ranged from 25% to 90% in previous outbreaks. Effective treatment is now available, and if patients receive early treatment as well as supportive care, their chances of survival are greatly improved.