[ad_1]
Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced four new cases of Ebola yesterday, including two deaths.
There are now 181 cases and 115 deaths in the ongoing epidemic in North Kivu province. Twenty-one cases are currently under investigation, the DRC Ministry of Health said.
Two of the new cases announced yesterday are in Beni and Butembo, bringing to 16 the number of cases recorded in these two cities in the last four days.
Beni about to be hit hardest
The DRC Ministry of Health said the recent outbreak in these areas confirmed that case contacts in the first wave of cases in August and September that had avoided follow-up and vaccination had now been infected. Beni has been a hotbed of anti-response activity, especially in the Ndindi neighborhood.
"The factors contributing to this situation are mainly misinformation, the non-collaboration of the population with the intervention teams and insecurity," said the Ministry of Health in its daily update. "More than two months after the declaration of the outbreak, the community continues to prevent burial with dignity and safety, and at-risk contacts still refuse vaccination and a 21-day follow-up . "
Experts in the DRC now predict that cases in Beni will soon exceed totals at Mblanka, the first designated epicenter of the North Kivu epidemic. To date, Mblanka has confirmed 91 cases and 65 deaths.
As of yesterday, Beni has 57 confirmed or probable cases and 35 deaths. Over the weekend, health officials in the DRC said the new cases represented "a second wave of confirmed cases among refractory contacts".
Prepare more cases in Beni
DRC officials said that they were preparing Beni for the influx of cases. "The Beni Ebola Treatment Center (ETC), which currently has 16 beds, will be expanded to accommodate at least 60 patients, additional doses of vaccines have been ordered and additional epidemiologists will be deployed for alerts," they said.
Oly Ilunga Kalenga, MD, the DRC's Minister of Public Health, traveled to Beni last week and said the response efforts would take a new direction in Beni. The city will be divided into 18 health zones that will be the subject of a thorough investigation. In addition, additional vaccines and epidemiologists will be deployed in the region.
Since 8 August, a total of 15,114 people have been vaccinated against the Ebola virus, including 5,250 in Beni, 4,289 in Mabalako, 1,663 in Mandima, 1,392 in Katwa, 1,100 in Butembo, 434 in Bunia, 355 in Tchomia, 270 to Masereka, 240 to 240. Komanda and 121 to Oicha.
See also:
October 8th Report of the DRC
CIDRAP article of 8 October: "The DRC records 12 new cases of Ebola over the weekend"
Source link
