Pointers at Glance
- The ministry of health announced that Congo reports a new Ebola case linked to the previous outbreak.
- Ebola virus is spread by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.
On Monday, The ministry of health announced that a new case of the Ebola virus had been confirmed in Congo’s eastern Beni city, saying it is linked to a previous outbreak.
The ministry said that testing by a lab at the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Goma confirmed the case was the Ebola Zaire strain. It was genetically linked to Congo’s 10th outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu provinces from 2018 to 2020, killing more than 2,000 people.
The case involved a 46-year-old woman who was admitted to the Beni hospital in late July and died on 15th August after suffering symptoms associated with Ebola.
The ministry said that their on-site team in Beni has carried out a dignified and secure burial and decontaminated the hospital where the patient stayed. Over 130 high-risk contacts have been identified, of which 71 have been seen. The others remain at large.
The ministry added that they call on the population to calm down and respect hygienic measures.
Since the virus was discovered in the conflict-ridden country in 1976, Congo has recorded 14 Ebola outbreaks. The last April to July outbreak occurred in another Equateur province region, killing five people.
Ebola virus is spread by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. However, the early symptoms of fever and muscle aches feature other common diseases such as malaria. In addition to vaccinations, effective treatment is available now. If received early, it can improve the chances of survival significantly.
According to various rights groups, this latest announcement in Beni comes as the region is threatened by various rebel groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces rebels, who have killed over 2,000 people in over a year.
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