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The WHO warned that despite the low tally, infection chains could lead to exponential contagion and larger outbreaks.
The World Health Organization emergencies expert Dr. Mike Ryan reported a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday.
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“As for the 12 of July, we have 48 confirmed cases and three probable cases reported from Equateur province in DRC. We have 17 deaths from confirmed cases and three from probable cases and 11 survivors,” Dr. Ryan briefed.
In late June, WHO decreed the second-largest Ebola outbreak in Ituri over, after a wide vaccination process. WHO warned that despite the low tally, infection chains could lead to exponential contagion and larger outbursts.
Five DRC regions reported cases in the last 7 to 21 days, which means the virus is active. Cases' origin is undetermined, and only half of the patients offered their epidemiological contacts.
A @WHO team explain the #Ebola vaccine & how it can contain the ongoing outbreak before administering it to high-risk contacts in Bikoro, #DRC. More than 10,500 people have been vaccinated since June, including over 1,300 frontline health workers. pic.twitter.com/0S4g1OTOSW
— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) July 11, 2020
The WHO established testing capabilities in the affected zones, where geographical conditions and logistics hinders cases’ tracking.
"I would caution everyone that while the numbers in this event are low, again in the era of COVID it is very important that we do not take our eyes off these other emerging diseases and we saw in North Kivu and other previous outbreaks of Ebola that these can get out of control very easily," he said.
After the second outbreak, DRC health authorities have recorded over 3700 cases and 2200 deaths due to Ebola.
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