The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the death of one
person in the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DPR).
The Congo Ministry of Health notified the WHO of nine suspected cases
of Ebola in the Aketi territory, in the northeastern province of
Bas-Uele, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said.
Three people with the hemorrhagic fever have died, but only one death
has been confirmed as resulting from the Zaire strain of Ebola.
Officials suspect that the two other deaths were also caused by the
highly infectious virus which spreads through contact with bodily
fluids.
Symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, diarrhea,
vomiting, abdominal pain and hemorrhaging, can begin two to 21 days
after exposure.
The Zaire strain of the virus is one of the most lethal. A 2007
outbreak of this strain in Congo had a fatality rate of 74%, claiming
200 lives.
There is no approved vaccine to prevent the virus, and there is no approved treatment or cure.
In 2014, more than 11,300 people were killed in the worst-ever
outbreak of the virus in West Africa, most of them in Guinea, Sierra
Leone and Liberia.
The Federal Government confirmed 198 Ebola cases in Nigeria as at
August 2014, following the death of a Liberian,Patrick Sawyer,who flew
in for a conference, and that of Dr.Stella Adadevoh who attended to her.
This is the eighth epidemic of Ebola that Congo has faced.
No comments: