WHO Raises Alarm On Recent Ebola Outbreak, 2 Dead
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The World Health Organization has raised an alarm on Ebola outbreak.
In the latest health news, two cases of Ebola virus was detected in DR Congo on April 21.
The WHO Regional Director for Central Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti disclosed this in a press statement.
The two cases have since died of the virus and about 233 close contacts have been traced.
The UN Health agency revealed that the 233 contacts were being monitored.
This health news platform learned that one of the deceased was a 31-year-old man.
He was from the Mbandaka, a Province of the country.
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The WHO said that 200 doses of rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine have been disbursed in the province.
The health agency assured that more doses would be shipped in the coming days.
Moeti said:
“The vaccination uses the “ring strategy” where the contacts and the contacts of confirmed Ebola patients are given the vaccine as well as frontline and health workers.
”Three vaccination teams are already on the ground and will work to reach all the people at high risk. To date, two cases, both deceased, have been confirmed since the outbreak began.”
“With effective vaccines at hand and the experience of the Democratic Republic of the Congo health workers in Ebola response, we can quickly change the course of this outbreak for the better.”
Health stakeholders are taking up responsibilities to control the spread of the disease.
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A 20-bed treatment facility for the disease has been constructed in Mbandaka.
Also, disease surveillance and monitoring are underway to control the spread of the virus. The Surveillance team is in place to detect any new cases.
Ebola virus is a disease that broke out from human to human contact with Wild animals. It was previously known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever.
The first case was detected in DR Congo in 1976. The disease was named after a river in Congo.
The most recent outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014-2016.
According to multiple health sources, this is the 14th outbreak of the Ebola virus in Congo since 1976.
Source: PUNCH HealthWise
