
DRC Ebola Outbreak: Government confident the virus can be contained
Health authorities are monitoring the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its Emergency Operations Centre in the wake of recent Ebola reports.
The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) has been activated in response to the latest cases.
So far, the World Health Organization has confirmed at least three deaths from Ebola, with another 11 suspected cases reported.
The first case was a 39-year-old man who displayed symptoms on the 22nd of April, before dying later.
The DRC’s health ministry is trying to track down anyone who may have come into contact with the virus.
Nigeria and Kenya have both issued alerts following the DRC outbreak.
DR Congo authorities are however confident the country has taken appropriate measures to contain the spread of Ebola.
The United Nations health agency has also deployed technical experts to the country, and has already mobilized teams to provide the technical expertise and the leadership required to mount a coordinated and effective response.
In addition, reinforcement of epidemiological surveillance,contact tracing, case management, and community engagement are under way.
This is the eighth outbreak of Ebola virus since it was discovered in the DRC in 1976.