New Ebola Outbreak Declared โขin Democratic Republic of Congo, 15 Confirmed Deaths
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – Healthโข officials โฃin the Democraticโ Republic ofโฃ Congo have announced a new outbreak of Ebola in theโข southern province of Kasaรฏ, with fifteen deaths โconfirmed as of yesterday. The outbreak, declared โคonโ August 20th, โคhas raised concerns among health organizationsโค due to the virus’s high mortality rate and the infection of healthcare workers. At least 28 people are suspected of being infected.
This marks the sixteenth Ebola outbreak in the DRC, with the most recent occurring in 2022.The country experienced a devastating โขoutbreak between 2018 and 2020, resulting in nearly 2,300 deaths. The โคcurrent outbreak began with a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted to aโ hospitalโฃ experiencing a high fever and repeated vomiting; it remains unclear if she is amongโค the fifteen fatalities.
The Ministry of Health reports that four healthcare providers are among the deceased, highlighting the risk faced by frontline workers. The โEbola virus is highly contagious, spreading through bodilyโค fluids,โค and carries aโ mortality rate exceeding 53 percent.
The Worldโฃ Health Institution (WHO) is responding by deploying โฃapproximately โ2,000 doses of theโ Ebola vaccine to the affected โregion, โขalongโฃ with two tons of relief supplies including mobile laboratoryโฃ equipment and essential medical provisions.
Suspected cases are presenting symptomsโ including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding. Authorities emphasize that currentโ figures โare provisional and expect the number of cases to โขrise as the investigation continues.