The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported five cases of Ebola virus disease amidst the latest outbreak in the northwestern part of the country.
The country’s Office of the World Health Organisation, WHO said five cases of Ebola virus disease, including four confirmed ones, had been reported since the beginning of the 14th outbreak, which was declared in late April in the northwestern province of Equateur.
It also noted that all five patients have died and 234 contacts have been identified and are under surveillance, while 1,013 people, including frontline workers, have been vaccinated.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing its 14th Ebola outbreak since 1976, as the current outbreak is the sixth since 2018 alone, the most frequent occurrence in the country’s Ebola history.
According to the WHO office, previous outbreaks in Equateur Province were in 2020 and 2018, with 130 and 54 recorded cases.
It will be recalled that the Democratic Republic of the Congo had in December 2021, declared the end of its 13th Ebola outbreak in which eight cases were confirmed and three probable, including six deaths in the northeastern North Kivu province.
