EBOLA OUTBREAK CONGO

Written by Michael Thervil

EBOLA OUTBREAK CONGO | PHOTO BY JEROME DELAY/AP

[Ebola outbreak Congo] Roughly 28 suspected cases of Ebola have been reported in the Kasia province, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in which 16 people have died due to exposure of the Zaire strain of the virus. Ebola, which is a severely contagious form of hemorrhagic fever, has claimed the lives of at least four Public Health Workers who have also been killed due to exposure to the virus. The Congolese health minister suspects that they could possibly be more victims in the region. How the virus emerged is currently unknown, but what is known is that Ebola is contracted through direct contact with bodily fluids and tissue. Some of the symptoms of Ebola consist of fever, vomiting, skin rash, internal and/or external bleeding, diarrhea, sore throat, and headaches.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered two tons of medical supplies which consisted of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), medicines, and laboratory hardware to support the Congolese government and to aid those affected in the DR Congo as well as worked in conjunction with the Congolese government to deploy rapid response teams to combat the Ebola outbreak. In a press statement, the Congolese health ministry stated:

“The case fatality rate is estimated at 57%, although investigations and laboratory analysis are continuing to refine the situation.”

It should also be noted that ecological surveillance has also been increased in the area to identify other Congolese citizens that may have come into contact with the Ebola virus. Currently the Congolese government has 2,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine which will be sent to Kasai to vaccinate Public Health Workers and others that may be at a higher risk of contracting the fatal disease.