WHO reports six new cases of Ebola in the DRC
Between 27 January and 4 February, six new confirmed cases of Ebola (EVD) were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the World Health Organization
The cases were reported in Beni and Mabalako Health Zones, North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and five of the cases were registered as contacts with known epidemiological links, including two cases under surveillance at the time of detection.
A new report from WHO offers a situation update on Ebola in the DRC, citing that, to date, there have been 3,428 confirmed cases and 2,250 deaths. It also details the actions that have been taken to date in response, including that from 8 August 2018 to 2 February 2020, 283,117 people were vaccinated with the rVSV-ZEBOVGP Ebola vaccine.
The report also notes that as of 2 February 2020, a total of 3,428 EVD cases, including 3,305 confirmed and 123 probable cases have been reported, of which 2,250 people died (overall case fatality ratio 66 per cent). Of the total confirmed and probable cases, 56 per cent (1920) were female, 28 per cent (966) were children aged younger than 18 years, and five per cent (172) were healthcare workers.
“New confirmed EVD cases continue to be reported in Beni and Mabalako Health Zones in North Kivu Province. Sustained and secure access to affected areas and heightened vigilance is required to continue essential response activities in order to refer and test alert cases as soon as possible, treat confirmed cases early and tackle further transmission of the disease in the community and in healthcare facilities,” the report concludes.