The Ebola virus has reappeared in Côte d’Ivoire for the first time in 25 years, confirm the World Health Organization WHO and Health Minister Pierre Dimba of the West African country. According to Dimba, it would be an isolated case and it concerns an 18-year-old girl who entered the country from neighboring Guinea.
–
According to the WHO, the confirmation came after samples were previously collected from the patient who was hospitalized in the commercial capital of Abidjan, the World Health Organization said in a statement. The woman traveled by road from Guinea to the Ivory Coast and arrived in Abidjan on August 12. She was admitted with a fever and is currently being treated.
–
Guinea, which experienced the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever with some 11,000 fatalities between 2014-2016, earlier this year experienced a four-month outbreak that was expected to end on June 19. At the beginning of this week, the first case of the Marburg virus in West Africa was also diagnosed in that country. This is a highly contagious disease similar to Ebola.
–
The contamination of both deadly diseases occurs through contact with infected body fluids and tissue. Fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea are among the symptoms. The WHO said there was no indication that the current case of infection in Côte d’Ivoire is linked to the outbreak in Guinea earlier this year. Further research is currently underway. During the outbreak, 16 infections and 12 deaths were recorded in Guinea. By vaccinating nearly 11,000 people against Ebola and taking other measures, the outbreak was under control after about four months.
–
“It is of great concern that this case has been detected in Abidjan, a metropolis of more than 4 million people,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, in a statement. “However, we are moving quickly and have enormous expertise in combating this disease.”
–
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing about the stars.
–
–
