Resurgence of the Ebola virus in eastern DRC

© BELGA –
–

“This new resurgence of the virus (…) has occurred in the health zone of Beni”, in the province of North Kivu, the ministry said in a statement.
“The case concerns a 3-year-old male child hospitalized and who died on October 6,” he said. A sample taken from the child was sent for analysis to Goma, the provincial capital, and was found to be positive for the Ebola virus.
The teams are hard at work on the ground, assures the ministry, in particular to ensure “the listing and the follow-up of approximately 100 contacts to date and the decontamination of the health facilities”.
“Thanks to the experience acquired in the management of the Ebola virus disease during previous epidemics, we are assured that the response teams (…) will be able to control this epidemic as soon as possible,” the statement concluded.
In early May, the DRC declared the end of its 12th Ebola epidemic, during which 12 cases had been recorded, with six deaths and hundreds of people vaccinated.
The disease reappeared in February in an area of ​​North Kivu struck between August 2018 and June 2020 by the strongest outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the history of the DRC (3,470 infection, 2,287 dead).
Identified for the first time in 1976 in the DRC (formerly Zaire), the Ebola virus is transmitted to humans by infected animals. Human transmission is through bodily fluids, with the main symptoms of fever, vomiting, bleeding, diarrhea. Treatments have now shown some efficacy against this hemorrhagic fever, as have vaccines administered in the environment of positive cases.

–