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dpa
Kinshasa
A new case of the deadly Ebola virus has been recorded in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday night.
The case was discovered in a young child who died on Wednesday having developed Ebola-like symptoms shortly beforehand. This is the first confirmed Ebola case since a recent outbreak in North Kivu was officially declared over in May.
The WHO is supporting the Congolese authorities in the investigation of the new case, said the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti.
The case occurred near the town of Beni, a commercial hub with close links to neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. Beni has seen Ebola before, most recently a prolonged outbreak between 2018 and 2020, according to the WHO. During the two-year outbreak, a total of nearly 3,500 cases were detected from which 2,299 people died. It is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak, but it is too early to say whether this case is related to the previous clusters.
“North Kivu has been battered by Ebola outbreaks during the past few years,” said Moeti, “but this has built up local expertise and community awareness, paving the way for a fast-moving response.”
Ebola infections usually lead to high fever and internal bleeding and are often fatal. In 2014 and 2015, the largest outbreak of the disease occurred in West Africa and resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.
Kinshasa
A new case of the deadly Ebola virus has been recorded in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday night.
The case was discovered in a young child who died on Wednesday having developed Ebola-like symptoms shortly beforehand. This is the first confirmed Ebola case since a recent outbreak in North Kivu was officially declared over in May.
The WHO is supporting the Congolese authorities in the investigation of the new case, said the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti.
The case occurred near the town of Beni, a commercial hub with close links to neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. Beni has seen Ebola before, most recently a prolonged outbreak between 2018 and 2020, according to the WHO. During the two-year outbreak, a total of nearly 3,500 cases were detected from which 2,299 people died. It is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak, but it is too early to say whether this case is related to the previous clusters.
“North Kivu has been battered by Ebola outbreaks during the past few years,” said Moeti, “but this has built up local expertise and community awareness, paving the way for a fast-moving response.”
Ebola infections usually lead to high fever and internal bleeding and are often fatal. In 2014 and 2015, the largest outbreak of the disease occurred in West Africa and resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.
