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Over the weekend and until today, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has noted 15 new cases of Ebola, among which another violent attack in Beni, l '39; epicenter of the epidemic.
In other developments, projects are underway to test experimental Ebola treatments in clinical trials. The UK sends teams to help it perform lab tests and clinical trials.
15 new cases
Of the 15 new cases reported, 12 are confirmed and 3 are considered probable. The current total is 334 cases, including 296 confirmed cases and 38 probable cases. Eight more deaths have been reported in the last 3 days, bringing the number of deaths to 206.
According to the report of the Ministry of Health on November 10 and yesterday, 6 are from Beni, 2 from the safe city of Kalunguta, 1 from Musienene and 1 from Kyondo, southeast of Butembo.
The other five cases, including three new probable diseases, are reflected in the totals of the World Health Organization (WHO) listed today on its online dashboard, and the sites are not specified. According to the latest information, health officials are still investigating 51 other suspected cases of Ebola.
The number of people vaccinated continues to increase steadily and the Ministry of Health announced yesterday that 28,727 people had been vaccinated, half of them in Beni.
More violence in Beni
Yesterday, the Director General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Twitter that he had been informed of a violent attack that occurred in Beni on the night of November 10th. .
"All the staff of WHO are safe, but my heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones in this appalling and unacceptable attack, which we condemn with the utmost firmness," he said. written.
According to a local press article translated by H5N1 Blog, devoted to infectious diseases, at least five civilians were killed and several children abducted during an attack by rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Mayimoya district, in Beni.
According to the same source, two other people were reportedly killed on the same day in Runwenzori neighborhood in Beni, one linked to ADF rebels and the other to suspected Mai Mai militia members.
Beni was the target of several violent attacks, including one in September, which led to a period of public mourning and temporarily halted interventions in the event of an epidemic.
This new series of attacks follows a high-level visit by peacekeepers from the WHO and UN to tackle security issues related to rebel armed groups. and pockets of distrust of the community that have been fueled by the inability of the DRC government to control the land. and protect the citizens of the east of the country where the outbreaks occur.
The study of therapies takes shape
In a report released today by Stat, health officials announced the launch of a clinical trial in the outbreak area to test three antibody-based treatments and an antiviral drug, a complex effort to cover several future epidemics among those affected. countries.
Experimental drugs are already being used in Ebola treatment centers for the purpose of compbadionate use. They include three monoclonal antibodies (ZMapp, REGN 3470-3471-3479 and mAB 114) and the antiviral drug Remdesivir.
According to Stat, 139 patients were treated with one of the four drugs.
Jamie Farrar, MD, PhD, director of the Wellcome Trust, told Stat that the randomized controlled trial would likely begin in November and that the DRC 's National Institute of Biomedical Research would be the sponsor of the US. trial. A final plan awaits the review of the study protocol by the DRC government ethics counselors.
British teams head for the epidemic zone
UK experts are preparing to visit the DRC, Sky News reported today, citing Daniel Bausch, MD, MPH, who heads a rapid response team jointly led by Public Health England and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
He added that the group would include two teams, one consisting of six people working in the laboratory and in charge of genetic sequencing to better identify the modes of transmission, and the other composed of two people responsible for conducting clinical trials.
According to the report, teams should arrive by the end of the week, arrive in Kinshasa and team up with colleagues from the WHO and the US National Institutes of Health. They will then go to Beni if the conditions are safe. Bausch said that an experienced epidemiologist had visited the epidemic area early in the outbreak for a rapid risk badessment and that he was about to return.
See also:
November 10 update of the DRC
November 11 update of the DRC
WHO Ebola Dashboard
Tedros Twitter Account
November 11 H5N1 Blog article
November 12 History of statistics
November 12 story of Sky News
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