2017 Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola outbreak explained

Date:April — July 2017
Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola outbreak 2017
Subheader:Initial case: 22 April 2017
Ended: 1 July 2017[1]
Label2:Confirmed cases
Data2:5
Label3:Probable cases
Data3:3[2]
Label4:Deaths
Data4:4

On 11 May 2017, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having one Ebola-related death.[3] [4]

As of 8 June 2017, there were five confirmed cases and three probable cases. Of these, four survived and four died. The affected areas of the DRC are Mabongo (one confirmed), Ngayi (one probable), and Nambwa (four confirmed and two probable) in Likati health zone. According to the WHO, "Modelling suggests the risk of further cases is currently low but not negligible.... As of ... [8 June], 83% of simulated scenarios predict no further cases in the next 30 days."[5]

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Ebola ... is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus species. Ebola can cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees)." Ebola was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in the DRC.[6] More than 11,300 people died in the 2013 to 2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.[7]

According to the WHO's "Global Health Observatory", the DRC's population in 2015 was 77,267,000.[8] On 1 July 2017, DRC Minister of Public Health, Dr Oly Ilunga Kalenga, declared that the country had passed a 42-day period with no new recorded cases, and therefore the outbreak was over.[1] [9] [10] A subsequent outbreak of Ebola was declared by WHO on 8 May 2018, in the northwest Province of Équateur.[11]

Epidemiology

The first "situation report" from the WHO on 15 May 2017 listed 19 suspected cases and 3 deaths. The first person to request treatment was a 39-year-old male.[12]

On 16 May, the WHO indicated that there had been 21 suspected cases and 3 deaths. Approximately 400 additional individuals were being monitored in the same region of the DRC.[13] On 17 May, WHO said that the number of individuals being monitored had risen to about 416,[14] while the following day, the number of confirmed and suspected cases had risen to 29.[15] As of 24 May, 520 individuals were reported to be on the contact list to monitor their health status. Of those, 226 had completed 21 days of monitoring.[16] As of 27 May, 30 cases had been reclassified as not Ebola-related.[17]

Responses

Organizations

On 13 May 2017, Doctors Without Borders indicated that they would send a team to the most recently affected area in the DRC.[18]

The GAVI vaccine alliance indicated that 300,000 doses of the experimental Ebola vaccine were available if needed.[19] On 28 May, it was reported that the DRC had authorized use of the vaccine.[20]

Nearby countries

As of 8 June 2017, the WHO does not recommend any restrictions of travel and trade in relation to this outbreak.[5] The following nine countries have instituted entry screening at airports and ports of entry: Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.[5] Rwanda has issued travel advisories to avoid unnecessary travel to the DRC.[5] Kenya and Rwanda have implemented information checking on arrival for passengers with a travel history from or through the DRC.[5] According to the WHO, countries have the right to implement these measures.[5]

On 20 May, the news media reported Rwanda's closure of its border with the DRC for passengers coming from affected areas in the DRC.[16] On 23 May, the WHO confirmed that Rwanda is denying entry to visitors with fever who have been to those areas.[16] Under Article 43 of the International Health Regulations (2005),[21] the WHO considers these actions to be "additional health measures ... that significantly interfere with international traffic".[16] As of 8 June the WHO is attempting to obtain and review Rwanda's public health rationale and relevant scientific information for implementing these measures.[5]

Virology

The sub-type Zaire ebolavirus has been confirmed in the current outbreak,[22] from the family Filoviridae.[23] It is a single stranded RNA virus, with a 60-90 percent mortality rate (the highest among the strains).[24]

An unusually high mortality has been reported in the local pig population. An investigation into potentialcauses is being considered.[16]

Previous and subsequent outbreaks in the DRC

The virus took its name from the Ebola River near the village in Zaire (now the DRC) where the first documented outbreak occurred.[25] Multiple documented outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have occurred in the DRC since 1976,[26] with the eleven outbreaks that have occurred summarised in the table below.

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: REFILE-Congo declares Ebola outbreak over after four deaths. https://web.archive.org/web/20180111165121/https://af.reuters.com/article/drcNews/idAFL8N1JR316. dead. 2018-01-11. Reuters. 1 July 2017. July 2017.
  2. News: External Situation Report 26 . Ebola Virus Disease−Democratic Republic of the Congo . World Health Organization . Regional Office for Africa . 22 June 2017 . 23 June 2017 . 7 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230407145351/https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/EbolaDRC-2362017.pdf . live .
  3. News: Dr Oly Ilunga Kalenga, Minister of Public Health, announces an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Likati district, Bas-Uélé Province (northern DRC) following confirmation by the National Biomedical Research Institute. . 14 May 2017 . en-gb . 18 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190618203433/https://www.afro.who.int/news/dr-oly-ilunga-kalenga-minister-public-health-announces-outbreak-ebola-virus-disease-likati . live .
  4. News: Second Ebola case in Congo confirmed . Beavers . Olivia . 14 May 2017 . TheHill . 16 May 2017 . 18 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170518232102/http://thehill.com/homenews/news/333365-second-ebola-virus-case-in-congo-confirmed-report . live .
  5. Web site: Ebola Virus Disease Democratic Republic of Congo. WHO. 14 June 2017. 25 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200325194401/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255645/EbolaDRC-09062017.pdf?sequence=1. live.
  6. Web site: About Ebola Virus Disease . www.cdc.gov . en-us . 16 May 2017 . 16 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141016080233/https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html . live .
  7. Web site: Democratic Republic of Congo confirms new Ebola outbeak . The Raw Story . 14 May 2017 . en . 7 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170607182650/http://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/democratic-republic-of-congo-confirms-new-ebola-outbeak/ . dead .
  8. Web site: Democratic Republic of the Congo . World Health Organization . en-GB . 17 May 2017 . 19 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170519095852/http://www.who.int/countries/cod/en/ . live .
  9. Web site: Congo declares end to Ebola outbreak after 4 deaths. ABC News. 1 July 2017. 1 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170711135323/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/congo-declares-end-ebola-outbreak-deaths-48389588. 11 July 2017. dead.
  10. Web site: Democratic Republic of the Congo Declaration of the end of Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. July 2, 2017. WHO.int. July 5, 2017. 11 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200411184214/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255798/EbolaDRC-02072017.pdf?sequence=1. live.
  11. News: New Ebola outbreak declared in Democratic Republic of the Congo. 8 May 2018. World Health Organization. 22 May 2018. 6 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190506153515/https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-05-2018-new-ebola-outbreak-declared-in-democratic-republic-of-the-congo. live.
  12. Web site: External Situation Report 1 . Ebola Virus Disease−Democratic Republic of the Congo . World Health Organization . Regional Office for Africa . 15 May 2017 . 16 May 2017 . 13 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230513201111/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/255419/1/EbolaDRC-1552017-eng.pdf . live .
  13. Web site: External Situation Report 2 . Ebola Virus Disease−Democratic Republic of the Congo . 17 May 2017 . World Health Organization . Regional Office for Africa . 17 May 2017 . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428162810/http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/255463/1/EbolaDRC-1652017-eng.pdf . live .
  14. Web site: External Situation Report 3 . Ebola Virus Disease−Democratic Republic of the Congo . 17 May 2017 . World Health Organization . Regional Office for Africa . 18 May 2017 . 7 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220407092638/https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/EbolaDRC-1752017-eng.pdf . live .
  15. Web site: Ebola virus disease . WHO . 28 April 2024.
  16. News: External Situation Report 11 . Ebola Virus Disease−Democratic Republic of the Congo . 25 May 2017 . World Health Organization . Regional Office for Africa . 28 May 2017 . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428162806/http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/255570/1/EbolaDRC-25052017.pdf?ua=1 . live .
  17. News: External Situation Report 14 . Ebola Virus Disease−Democratic Republic of the Congo . World Health Organization . Regional Office for Africa . 25 May 2017 . 27 May 2017 . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428162806/http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/255573/1/EbolaDRC-28052017.pdf?ua=1 . live .
  18. Web site: Ebola Confirmed in DRC, MSF to Launch Emergency Intervention . www.doctorswithoutborders.org . 16 May 2017 . en . 12 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170518233457/http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/article/ebola-confirmed-drc-msf-launch-emergency-intervention . 18 May 2017 . dead .
  19. News: Ebola outbreak reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo . PBS NewsHour . 13 May 2017 . 17 May 2017 . en-US . 16 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170516155658/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/ebola-democratic-republic-congo/ . live .
  20. News: Congo approves use of Ebola vaccination to fight outbreak . 29 May 2017 . Reuters . 29 May 2017 . 27 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180927122250/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ebola-congo-idUSKBN18P0WN . live .
  21. Web site: International Health Regulation . WHO . 20 August 2018 . 23 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123233358/http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/246107/9789241580496-eng.pdf;jsessionid=5457A0897E53C7EFF049830E9353D622?sequence=1 . live .
  22. Web site: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo . https://web.archive.org/web/20170516052644/http://who.int/csr/don/13-may-2017-ebola-drc/en/ . dead . 16 May 2017 . World Health Organization . en-GB . 14 May 2017.
  23. Kuhn . Jens H. . Becker . Stephan . Ebihara . Hideki . Geisbert . Thomas W. . Johnson . Karl M. . Kawaoka . Yoshihiro . Lipkin . W. Ian . Negredo . Ana I. . Netesov . Sergey V. . 14 May 2017 . Proposal for a revised taxonomy of the family Filoviridae: classification, names of taxa and viruses, and virus abbreviations . Archives of Virology . 155 . 12 . 2083–2103 . 10.1007/s00705-010-0814-x . 0304-8608 . 3074192 . 21046175.
  24. Kadanali . Ayten . Karagoz . Gul . An overview of Ebola virus disease . Northern Clinics of Istanbul . 24 April 2015 . 2 . 1 . 81–86 . 10.14744/nci.2015.97269 . 28058346 . 5175058 . 2536-4553.
  25. Web site: Ebola virus disease . World Health Organization . Media centre . en-GB . May 2017 . 16 May 2017 . 14 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141214011751/https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/ . live .
  26. News: Ebola returns: What you need to know about the outbreak in the Congo . 15 May 2017 . Newsweek . 16 May 2017 . en . 15 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170515232142/http://www.newsweek.com/democratic-republic-congo-ebola-609143 . live .

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