WHO Update On DRC Ebola Outbreak

Credit Wikipedia

 

# 6665

 

While we continue to watch a Marburg virus outbreak in Uganda, the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo is now entering its 6th week.

 

Today the World Health Organization has posted this update on their Global Alert & Response page:

 

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo – update

26 October 2012 - As of 24 October 2012, 52 cases (35 laboratory confirmed, 17 probable) with Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Of these, 25 have been fatal (12 confirmed, 13 probable).

 

The cases are reported from Isiro and Viadana health zones in Haut-Uélé district in Province Orientale.

 

The Ministry of Health (MoH) continues to work with local health authorities and international partners in active surveillance, tracing of contacts of probable and confirmed cases, infection prevention and control in health care settings, management of patients in health care facilities, logistics, social mobilization, provision of psychosocial support and conducting anthropological analysis to support the control of the outbreak.

 

Surveillance activities are being strengthened in Isiro and neighbouring areas, including Bedhe and Nakwapongo. In Isiro, health care workers are being trained on basic infection prevention and control in health care settings. Through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), a field laboratory has been set up by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

 

Social mobilization activities are being carried out in schools and churches in Isiro, Rungu and Ngosaku to provide information on protection against the Ebola virus and to discuss concerns of the local population.

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WHO: DRC Ebola Update - Sept 18th

UPDATE:   Some media sources are quoting a much higher death toll (see Ebola outbreak 'kills 32' in DR Congo since May) than is being reported below by the WHO. 

 

Today Sharon Sanders of FluTrackers contracted Gregory Hartl at the World Health Organization for clarification.  He explained that suspected cases are not counted in their report, and the current number of fatalities remains at 19.

 

 

# 6560

 

The World Health Organization has posted an update on the Ebola outbreak ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, indicating an increase of 5 confirmed cases since their last update.

 

 

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo – update

18 September 2012 - As of 15 September 2012, 46 cases (14 laboratory confirmed, 32 probable) with Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Of these 19 have been fatal (6 confirmed, 13 probable).

 

The cases reported are from two health zones of Isiro and Viadana in Haut-Uélé district in Province Orientale. Additionally, 26 suspected cases have been reported and are being investigated.

 

The MoH continues to work with partners to control the outbreak. Active epidemiological investigation is being done to identify all possible chains of transmission of the illness, and ensure that appropriate measures are immediately taken to interrupt the transmission, and stop the outbreak.

(Continue . . . )

 

This morning the WHO has also provided brief updates via their Twitter account @WHO.

 

 

 

Whenever an outbreak of a hemorrhagic virus occurs somewhere in the world, we are fascinated by its vivid imagery, and its feared potential. Thus far, the spread of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (which include Ebola, Marburg & Lassa) has been limited.

 

These viruses strike quickly, with profound and debilitating symptoms, and that helps to limit human-to-human spread.

 

In terms of numbers affected, the worst known outbreak occurred in Uganda in 2000-2001, with 425 cases and 224 deaths (cite).

 

 

The risks of this virus spreading beyond the endemic areas of central Africa are considered low (see ECDC Risk Assessment), but as Maryn Mckenna wrote in her blog Lassa fever: Coming to an airport near you - with our increasingly mobile population - opportunities for exotic tropical diseases like Ebola to hop on an airplane are increasing.

 

The World Health Organization maintains an Ebola FAQ Sheet, where you will find more information on the disease:

 

Ebola haemorrhagic fever

Fact sheet N°103
August 2012

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Key facts

• The Ebola virus causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) outbreaks in humans.
• Viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.
• Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.
• The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
• Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus.
• There is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals.

( Continue . . .)

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WHO: DRC Ebola Update

Credit Wikipedia

 

 

# 6554

 

After a flurry of news reports yesterday – some suggesting that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was `out of control’ - we’ve an update from the World Health Organization this morning that endeavors to clarify the situation.

 

Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo – update

14 September 2012 - Retrospective epidemiological investigation recently identified additional confirmed and probable cases with Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

 

As of 12 September 2012, 41 cases (9 laboratory confirmed, and 32 probable) have been reported from Haut-Uélé district in Province Orientale. Of these cases, 18 have been fatal. (5 confirmed and 13 probable). 18 healthcare workers are included among the probable cases. 28 suspected cases have also been reported and are being investigated.

 

Since the last update, an additional 27 cases (1 laboratory confirmed and 26 probable) of EHF were identified through retrospective epidemiological investigation in the two health zones of Isiro and Viadana. The retrospective epidemiological investigation was done to identify cases of illness which might have been EHF between the end of April 2012 and August 2012, and thus help clarify the possible origins of the outbreak and provide additional information on chains of transmission. In addition, active field epidemiological investigation is continuing to help identify all possible chains of continuing transmission of the illness, to ensure that appropriate measures are immediately taken to interrupt the transmission, and stop the outbreak.

(Continue . . . )

Over the past 24 hours the World Health Organization has been updating the situation via Twitter, as well.  Below you’ll find their tweets (ranked oldest to newest) on the Congo outbreak.

Follow @WHO for more updates.

 

Ebola was first discovered in Zaire and Sudan in 1976 and since then has become almost legendary for its incredibly high fatality rate and gruesome hemorrhagic symptoms. 

 

As a public health threat, Ebola – which has been blamed for fewer than 2,000 deaths over the past 30+ years - pales in comparison to most of the world’s less feared infectious diseases.

 

Simple childhood pneumonia, claims 1.8 million lives each year (cite) and Malaria claims between one half, to one million lives a year (cite).

 

Despite its relative rarity, movies like 1995’s Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman, and books like Tom Clancy’s Executive Orders and The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, have helped to turn Ebola into the ultimate nightmare disease in the eyes of the public.

 

There are currently five known strains of the disease, of which four are highly pathogenic in humans.; Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast and Ebola-Bundibugyo.

 

This outbreak, in the DRC, is caused by Ebola-Bundibugyo.

 

The odd virus out - Ebola Reston - which can infect and kill non-human primates, can infect humans, but has not been shown to produce disease.

 

While the zoonotic reservoir for the Ebola virus has yet to be firmly established, bats are considered to be a likely candidate. 

 

For more background on the Ebola virus the CDC’s Special Pathogens Branch has an extensive webpage on the virus.

 

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

About the Disease

For the General Public

• Questions & Answers
• Information on Ebola hemorrhagic fever [PDF - 215 KB]

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