No fewer than 15 people have died following a fresh outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The outbreak was discovered in central Kasai province, according to the nation’s health ministry yesterday, and 28 suspected cases have been reported thus far.
Following a 34-year-old pregnant woman’s hospital admission on August 20 due to a high fever and frequent vomiting, the ministry reported that testing verified the presence of the Zaire strain of the virus.
She was said to have died hours later from multiple organ failure. Four health personnel have died.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the number of cases is anticipated to increase as transmission continues. The health organization has announced that it will send two tons of goods, including mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies, to help with the response operation.
“Response teams and local teams will work to find the people who may be infected and need to receive care, to ensure everyone is protected as quickly as possible,” WHO said in a statement.
The WHO also stated that Congo had a “stockpile of treatments,” including 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which is “effective in protecting against this type of Ebola.”
Ebola, a lethal disease thought to have originated in fruit bats, was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It spreads directly through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
The latest outbreak in Congo occurred three years ago, killing six people. More than 2,000 people died in a previous outbreak that lasted from 2018 to 2020.
