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KINSHASA – The latest Ebola outbreak in Congo is over, the Ministry of Health said Tuesday after a quick response to limit its spread to remote rural areas and a city of more than 1 million of people.
Health experts said that the use of a vaccine still experimental on more than 3,300 people was a major factor in controlling the epidemic, the ninth in Congo since the # Identification of haemorrhagic fever in 1976.
54 cases of Ebola, including 33 deaths, The Ministry of Health said: "Although the magnitude of the crisis we were facing either unprecedented, the speed and effectiveness of the response put in place by the government and its partners have also been exceptional, "said the Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga
L & # 39; The outbreak posed a serious problem when it spread to the city of Mbandaka and its more than 1 million inhabitants. Other initial cases were in rural areas that were difficult to access without basic infrastructure such as electricity, which complicated vaccination efforts. "From the beginning, we had prepared for the worst case scenario," said the Minister of Health. "And our fears were quickly confirmed" with the spread to Mbandaka at the beginning of the epidemic.
The city is located on the Congo River, very busy upstream of the capital, Kinshasa, and its 10 million inhabitants. It was feared that the virus would spread not only in the country, but also in neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic.
The outbreak was declared after a 42-day observation period, or two 21-day incubation periods without new confirmed cases. "It's a big relief for us," said Dominique Ekila, a 44-year-old resident in Kinshasa. "Since May, I had stopped traveling in the province of Ecuador to sell fish … With this announcement, I will soon plan my next trip."
Esther Mavinga, who sells vegetables in Kinshasa, said she was grateful that the outbreak was over.
"We were very worried that this epidemic was coming to Kinshasa, God prayed to hear our prayers and spared us."
There is no specific treatment for Ebola, which is transmitted by contact with the body fluids of infected people, including the dead. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and sometimes internal and external bleeding. The virus can be fatal in 90% of cases, depending on the strain.
The World Health Organization, which played a major role in outbreak response and vaccine delivery, congratulated the Congo.
Ibrahima Soce Fall, director of the agency's regional emergencies in Africa, called the response of improvement after the devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,300 people between 2014 and 2016. WHO, criticized for its slowness "The same day, the latest outbreak was declared, WHO was able to release 2 million dollars allocated for the first intervention and the international teams were able to deploy quickly in a coordinated effort, said Fall.
But Dr. Stacey Mearns, health coordinator of the emergency response team of the International Rescue Committee, warned against too much celebration
"It's always good to see the end of an epidemic, but it's certainly not the end of the Ebola virus. The Ebola virus is endemic here, "she said.
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