Six months of Ebola in DRC
It’s a new year, but the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo rages on and is now in its sixth month. In a recent report, the World Health Organization stated that the outbreak remains ‘highly active’ across ‘geographically dispersed areas’ and that Butembo, Katwa, and Oicha are the hotspots.
In the report, WHO states that, as of 6 January 2018, a cumulative total of 377 deaths had been reported, which includes 329 deaths among confirmed cases, and that the case fatality ratio among confirmed cases is 57 per cent. WHO said that it, along with the Ministry of Health and partners, is continuing to monitor and investigate all alerts in affected areas, in other provinces in the DRC, and in neighbouring countries.
Travellers can take precautions to prevent Ebola infection, such as avoiding contact with sick people, dead bodies, blood, or body fluids; avoiding contact with animals; not eating or handling raw or undercooked meat or any bushmeat; and practising good hygiene.