DR Congo Declares Ebola Outbreak Over

Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry on Tuesday declared an end to an Ebola outbreak believed to have killed 33 people, after 42 days with no new cases.

The outbreak, first detected in northwest Congo in April, was dealt with rapidly by the World Health Organization and Congolese authorities, including the deployment of an experimental vaccine given to over 3,300 people.

That helped contain the impact of the virus even when it reached the city of Mbandaka. With a population of 1.5 million, it has frequent air and river links to Congo’s sprawling capital Kinshasa.

Ebola causes hemorrhagic fever and vomiting and is spread through direct contact with body fluids. An outbreak in West Africa which peaked in 2014 killed at least 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

“I declare from this day… the end of the Ebola …epidemic in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo,” Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said in a statement.

An Ebola outbreak is normally declared over once 42 days have passed since blood samples from the last confirmed case test negative for the second time.

Staff Writer

Recent Posts

Rwampara leaders reject Umbrella of Water and Sanitation project

The Umbrella of Water and Sanitation which was recently introduced in Rwampara district to manage…

10 hours ago

Ballooned staffer exposes s3x network at Stanbic bank

A pregnancy scandal has exposed a s3x network at Stanbic bank’s Soroti branch. Info obtained…

11 hours ago

Loan fee scandal rocks Stanbic bank

Stanbic Bank Uganda has intensified crackdown against unethical staff. And as we report this, over…

12 hours ago

Anxiety as Sebaana is appointed DTB bank MD

There are fears of massive staff exodus at Diamond Trust Bank Uganda Limited (DTBU) following…

13 hours ago

Fire forces banks to downgrade

Three commercial banks in Uganda will transition from Tier I commercial banks to Tier II…

17 hours ago

Ssenyonyi, Speaker Among have a secret deal-source

A secret deal was reportedly reached between Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and Leader of…

17 hours ago