New cases and fatalities reported in latest Ebola outbreak, with 15 deaths and 28 new infections confirmed.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an Ebola outbreak has been declared, marking the 16th such occurrence since the disease was first identified in the country in 1976. As of Thursday, 15 people have tragically lost their lives, and 28 new cases have been recorded.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are taking swift action to halt the spread of the Ebola virus and protect communities. Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, has expressed the organisation's determination to end the current outbreak as soon as possible.

The first case in this outbreak is believed to be a 34-year-old pregnant woman. The strain of Ebola has been identified as the Zaire strain, which was also responsible for the devastating 2013-2016 epidemic in West Africa that claimed the lives of 11,323 people.

The outbreak has affected the health zones of Bulape and Mweka in the Kasai province. To address this, the WHO has dispatched a rapid response team to Kasai to strengthen disease surveillance, treatment, and infection prevention and control in health facilities. Similarly, Africa CDC is taking strong measures to bring the Ebola outbreak under control and support the health workers on the frontlines.

Dr Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General, has met with the Minister of Health to coordinate an urgent response to the Ebola outbreak. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the outbreak.

Symptoms of the cases include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and haemorrhage. The WHO's actions are aimed at ending the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC as soon as possible, and they are working closely with the health authorities in the country to scale up key response measures.

It is important to note that the last outbreak of Ebola in the DRC was in the north-western Equateur province in April 2022 and was brought under control within three months. The WHO expects case numbers to keep rising as transmission is ongoing, but they remain hopeful that, with the combined efforts of WHO, Africa CDC, and the DRC health authorities, this outbreak can be controlled efficiently.

New cases and fatalities reported in latest Ebola outbreak, with 15 deaths and 28 new infections confirmed.