A new case of Ebola confirmed in eastern Congo

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, October 8 (Reuters) – An Ebola case has been confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the health minister said on Friday, five months after the last outbreak ended. in this country.

It was not immediately clear whether the case was linked to the 2018-2020 epidemic that killed more than 2,200 people in eastern Congo, the second deadliest on record, or to the outbreak that six deaths this year.

A 3-year-old boy tested positive near the eastern town of Beni, one of the epicenters of the 2018-2020 epidemic, and died of the disease on Wednesday, Health Minister Jean Jacques said Mbungani in a statement.

Around 100 people who may have been exposed to the virus have been identified and will be monitored to see if they develop symptoms, he added.

An internal report from the Congo Biomedical Lab said three of the toddler’s neighbors in the densely populated Butsili neighborhood of Beni also had symptoms compatible with Ebola last month and died, but none were tested.

Congo has recorded 12 epidemics since the disease, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, and spreads through contact with bodily fluids, was discovered in the equatorial forest near the Ebola River in 1976.

“Thanks to the experience acquired in the management of the Ebola virus disease during previous epidemics, we are convinced that the response teams (…) will be able to control this epidemic as soon as possible,” said Mbungani.

It is not uncommon for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak, according to health experts. Particles of the virus can remain in semen for months after an infection has healed.

The disease typically kills about half of the people it infects, although treatments developed since the record 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa have dramatically reduced death rates when cases are detected early.

Two highly effective vaccines manufactured by Merck (MRK.N) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) have also been used to contain outbreaks since then.

The 2018-2020 epidemic, however, has become as deadly as it has been as the response has been hampered by local people’s mistrust of medical staff as well as violence from some of the groups. armed militias active in eastern Congo.

(This story corrects the total number of outbreaks to 12 versus 11 in paragraph 6)

Report by Fiston Mahamba; Additional reporting by Aaron Ross and Stanis Bujakera; Editing by Leslie Adler, John Stonestreet and Sandra Maler

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