DR Congo declares new Ebola outbreak

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday announced a fresh outbreak of Ebola in the country.

A positive case of Ebola virus disease was detected in the Mbandaka city of the northwestern Equateur province, according to Congolese Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani, four months after the end of the 13th outbreak was declared.

In a statement, the WHO said a 31-year-old man began experiencing symptoms on April 5 and sought treatment at a local health facility after more than a week of home-based care.

On April 21, the patient was admitted to an Ebola treatment center for intensive care but died later that day, WHO's regional office for Africa said.

Mbungani said that about 74 of his contacts are being tracked.

Noting that health officials are rushing against time, Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing.

“The disease has had a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The positive news is that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world at controlling Ebola outbreaks quickly,” she said.

Many people in Mbandaka are already vaccinated against Ebola, according to Moeti, which could help reduce the impact of the disease.

But “all those who were vaccinated during the 2020 outbreak will be revaccinated,” the WHO official said.

The DR Congo has seen 13 previous Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2018-2020, that killed nearly 2,300 people, the second highest toll recorded in the history of the hemorrhagic fever.