Congo – Ebola scare has hit a major city in Congo as one case has been identified in Mbandaka. In response, the World Health Organization has called an emergency meeting to talk about what to do.
While its’s only one case so far, when a single case of Ebola is identified in a city is a serious matter. Often times, Ebola breaks out in remote, rural parts. In 2014, this diease outbreak hit a number of countries in West Africa with 28,000 people contracting it and 11, 000 died from it.
Dr. Peter Salama, the head of WHO’s emergency program, said that with the introduction of the case in the city, “ . . .the challenge just got much much tougher.” And “a case in the city is a game changer,” he said.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 44 cases of Ebola have been reported. Most of the cases are in a remote, north-western province that is very hard to reach. More than 20 people have died. More than 500 people are being monitored. During Ebola monitoring, people check for fever daily and report any symptoms to health authorities.
“This is the ninth Ebola outbreak in Congo in the last 40 years,” said Henry Gray, emergency coordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres in Mbandaka. Medecins Sans Frontieres is the group helping lead efforts to stop the outbreak in Mbandaka. “So far, all of them have occurred in remote and isolated areas, as was the case in Likati, when the epidemic didn’t spread. With the new case confirmed in Mbandaka, the scenario has changed, and it has become more serious and worrying, since the disease is now affecting an urban area,” added Gray.
The World Health Organisation is prepared to fight the spread of Ebola. “This is a concerning development, but we now have better tools than ever before to combat Ebola,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “WHO and our partners are taking decisive action to stop further spread of the virus.”
Stay upto date with health news! Subscribe:
Be the first to comment