Ebola Outbreak Declared in Democratic Republic of the Congo, 15 Dead
The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched twelve tons of emergency medical supplies to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in response to a newly declared Ebola outbreak that has already claimed at least fifteen lives, reports 24brussels.
On Sunday, the WHO’s Africa office announced via social media that supplies sent from its Nairobi response center include protective gear sufficient for 120 frontline healthcare workers for one month, as well as patient isolation materials and water sanitation supplies.
The outbreak, confirmed last Thursday, marks the sixteenth occurrence of Ebola in DRC since the virus was first identified in 1976 and is particularly significant as it is the first outbreak in the central Kasai province since 2008.
According to recent reports from the DRC Ministry of Public Health, there are currently at least 32 confirmed cases of the virus, with laboratory tests confirming that these cases are of the Zaire strain. Vaccines are being administered to medical staff to combat this outbreak.
Ebola is a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected individuals or animals, with a fatality rate of 60 to 80 percent, according to the WHO. The deadliest Ebola epidemic occurred in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, resulting in approximately 11,300 deaths, primarily in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, although the true toll may have been even higher.
