EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (02): (EQUATEUR): SUSPECTED
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Date: Wed 20 Aug 2014
Source: Reuters [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/ ... CC20140820
Democratic Republic of Congo has sent its health minister and a team of experts to the remote northern Equateur province after several people died there from a disease with Ebola-like symptoms, a local official and a professor said on Wednesday [20 Aug 2014].
It was not immediately clear if there was any connection with Ebola [virus infections]. An epidemic of that disease has killed more than 1200 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
"An illness is spreading in Boende but we don't know the origin," said Michel Wangi, a spokesman for the governor's office. "The government has sent a team of experts from the INRB (National Institute of Biomedical Research) this morning led by the health minister (Felix) Kabange Numbi and acting governor Sebastian Impeto."
A professor accompanying the delegation in the presidential plane confirmed that they were en route this morning to find out "the exact nature of the illness that caused the Boende deaths".
An Equateur resident who asked not to be named said that around 10 people had died, including 4 health care workers, after suffering from fever, diarrhoea and bleeding from the ears and nostrils - all symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus [infection]
Highly-contagious, Ebola can kill up to 90 per cent of its victims [The case fatality rate in the current West African outbreak is 55 per cent. Mod. TY] . There is no known vaccine and the few forms of treatment that exist are experimental.
Congo does not share a border with any of the countries affected by the virus in West Africa. But the country has seen several outbreaks since the 1st case was detected near the Ebola River in northern Congo in 1976.
[Reporting by Bienvenu Bakumanya; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by John Stonestreet and Sonya Hepinstall]
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Date: Wed 20 Aug 2014
Source: International Business Times [edited]
http://www.ibtimes.com/ebola-democratic ... hs-1664024?
An unspecified number of people have recently died with Ebola-like symptoms in the northern province of Equateur in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus was discovered in 1976, according to Reuters. The deaths have not been connected to the outbreak in West Africa, located about 2000 miles [3200 km] away and the epicenter of the worsening Ebola crisis.
The DRC has sent its health minister and a team of experts to Equateur to investigate the deaths in the province of 7.5 million. The Ebola virus first identified there in 1976 is the most deadly of the 5 strains of Ebola [virus] and was known as the Zaire ebolavirus prior to 2010. It was the same strain of the virus that is currently ravaging Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
About 318 cases were reported and 280 people died during the 1976 outbreak. The DRC has experienced 6 outbreaks of Ebola since then, mostly recently in 2012 when 36 people died in Equateur's neighboring province, Orientale. The Ebola virus has killed 768 people in the DRC since it was discovered.
Experts believe Ebola made its way into the human population through the consumption of bush meat, or the meat from the variety of animals found in the African wilderness. The primary host of the virus is believed to be forest bats, which are popularly stewed, smoked and roasted in rural West and Central Africa.
--
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[The clinical picture described for these cases is compatible with Ebola virus disease. As the above reports indicate, Ebola virus is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC] and there have been sporadic outbreaks there over the past nearly 40 years. There was an unconfirmed but suspect outbreak of Ebola-like disease in neighboring Orientale province last month (July, 2014; see ProMED-mail archive no. 20140721.2624831). This current DRC outbreak is quite distant from the West African outbreak, and there is no evidence that the 2 are related, especially since the DRC Equateur outbreak is reported to be in an isolated location. It is unguent to confirm (or discard) Ebola virus as the etiological cause of the disease occurring there. These types of outbreaks can get out of control quite quickly. ProMED would appreciate receiving further information about additional cases and results of laboratory tests.
There is a map in the 2nd report showing the location of Equateur province. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map showing the location of the DRC can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194. - Mod. TY]
Ebola-Fieber im Kongo
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Verdacht auf Ebola in Kongo DRC - Equateur: Boende
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (03): (EQUATEUR): SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Thu 21 Aug 2014
Source: Reuters [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/ ... SF20140821
At least 70 people have died in northern Democratic Republic of Congo from an outbreak of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, the World Health Organization said on Thursday [21 Aug 2014], denying that the illness was Ebola.
A WHO report dated Thu 21 Aug 2014 and seen by Reuters said that 592 people had contracted the disease, of whom 70 died. Among the dead are 5 health care workers, including one doctor.
"This is not Ebola," a WHO spokesman said in an email to Reuters on Thursday [21 Aug 2014].
A local priest who asked not to be named said that the illness had affected several villages and estimated that the death toll was over 100 people.
Kinshasa sent its health minister, Felix Kabange Numbi, and a team of experts on Wednesday [20 Aug 2014] to the region after reports of several deaths.
The outbreak began in the remote jungle province of Equateur where the 1st case of Ebola was reported in 1976, prompting speculation that it was the same illness that has killed more than 1350 people in an outbreak now raging in West Africa.
Symptoms of the 2 diseases are similar; they include vomiting, diarrhoea and internal bleeding. But the fatality rate for this outbreak of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis is much lower than the West Africa Ebola outbreak, at around 12 percent versus close to 60 percent.
The WHO, which sent representatives to the area on Wednesday [20 Aug 2014] together with the Congolese team of experts, said 4 samples would be flown from the town of Boende on Friday [22 Aug 2014] to the capital Kinshasa for further testing.
Medical charity MSF said it had also sent a team to Equateur province to assess the situation. MSF said it was too early to confirm what the disease was.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[Although the clinical picture described for these cases is compatible with Ebola virus disease, there is now some doubt due to the relatively low case fatality rate compared to previous Ebola virus infections in this area.
As the above and previous reports indicate, Ebola virus is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], and there have been sporadic outbreaks there over the past nearly 40 years. There was an unconfirmed but suspected outbreak of Ebola-like disease in neighboring Orientale province last month (July 2014; see ProMED-mail archive no. 20140721.2624831). Because this current DRC outbreak is quite distant from the West African outbreak, the WHO has discarded the possibility that these 2 outbreaks are related, especially since the DRC Equateur outbreak is reported to be in an isolated location. It is urgent to confirm (or discard) Ebola virus as the etiological cause of the disease occurring there, and one hopes that the group of experts can facilitate a rapid diagnosis. ProMED would appreciate receiving further information about additional cases and results of laboratory tests.
There is a map in the previous report showing the location of Equateur province. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map showing the location of the DRC can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194. - Mod.TY]
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Thu 21 Aug 2014
Source: Reuters [edited]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/ ... SF20140821
At least 70 people have died in northern Democratic Republic of Congo from an outbreak of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, the World Health Organization said on Thursday [21 Aug 2014], denying that the illness was Ebola.
A WHO report dated Thu 21 Aug 2014 and seen by Reuters said that 592 people had contracted the disease, of whom 70 died. Among the dead are 5 health care workers, including one doctor.
"This is not Ebola," a WHO spokesman said in an email to Reuters on Thursday [21 Aug 2014].
A local priest who asked not to be named said that the illness had affected several villages and estimated that the death toll was over 100 people.
Kinshasa sent its health minister, Felix Kabange Numbi, and a team of experts on Wednesday [20 Aug 2014] to the region after reports of several deaths.
The outbreak began in the remote jungle province of Equateur where the 1st case of Ebola was reported in 1976, prompting speculation that it was the same illness that has killed more than 1350 people in an outbreak now raging in West Africa.
Symptoms of the 2 diseases are similar; they include vomiting, diarrhoea and internal bleeding. But the fatality rate for this outbreak of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis is much lower than the West Africa Ebola outbreak, at around 12 percent versus close to 60 percent.
The WHO, which sent representatives to the area on Wednesday [20 Aug 2014] together with the Congolese team of experts, said 4 samples would be flown from the town of Boende on Friday [22 Aug 2014] to the capital Kinshasa for further testing.
Medical charity MSF said it had also sent a team to Equateur province to assess the situation. MSF said it was too early to confirm what the disease was.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[Although the clinical picture described for these cases is compatible with Ebola virus disease, there is now some doubt due to the relatively low case fatality rate compared to previous Ebola virus infections in this area.
As the above and previous reports indicate, Ebola virus is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], and there have been sporadic outbreaks there over the past nearly 40 years. There was an unconfirmed but suspected outbreak of Ebola-like disease in neighboring Orientale province last month (July 2014; see ProMED-mail archive no. 20140721.2624831). Because this current DRC outbreak is quite distant from the West African outbreak, the WHO has discarded the possibility that these 2 outbreaks are related, especially since the DRC Equateur outbreak is reported to be in an isolated location. It is urgent to confirm (or discard) Ebola virus as the etiological cause of the disease occurring there, and one hopes that the group of experts can facilitate a rapid diagnosis. ProMED would appreciate receiving further information about additional cases and results of laboratory tests.
There is a map in the previous report showing the location of Equateur province. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map showing the location of the DRC can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194. - Mod.TY]
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Unbekannte Fieberkrankheit im Kongo - Ebola ?
Tote durch unbekannte Fieberkrankheit im KongoWie die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO mitteilte, sind in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo in den vergangenen Wochen an der noch unbekannten Fiebererkrankung mindestens 70 Menschen gestorben. Die offenbar ansteckende Krankheit zeichne sich durch starken Durchfall und Erbrechen aus, heißt es in einem WHO-Bericht. Unter den Todesopfern befänden sich auch vier Krankenpfleger und ein Arzt. Eine Verbindung zu Ebola gebe es offensichtlich nicht. Wie der UN-Sender Okapi im Kongo berichtete, liegt das Zentrum der Epidemie im Nordwesten des afrikanischen Landes nahe der Distrikthauptstadt Boende. Die lokalen Behörden und das kongolesische Gesundheitsministerium sowie Experten der WHO bemühten sich, die Erkrankung zu identifizieren und ihre Ausbreitung einzudämmen.
21.08.2014 - DW World
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Ebola in Kongo DRC - Equateur: Boende
Kongo meldet erste Ebola-Fälleer Ebola-Erreger hat nun auch die Demokratische Republik Kongo erreicht. Tests hätten eindeutig bestätigt, dass es in der Provinz Equateur Ebola gebe, sagte Gesundheitsminister Félix Kabange Numbi. Zuvor hatten die Behörden von 13 Toten berichtet, die binnen zehn Tagen an einer unbekannten Fiebererkrankung gestorben waren.
24.08.2014 - Stern
Minister: 2 People Have Died of Ebola in CongoTwo Ebola-related deaths have been confirmed in Congo, the country's health minister said Sunday, though local officials believe the cases are unrelated to the outbreak in West Africa that has killed more than 1,400 people. Eight samples were taken from the region of Boende in Congo's northwest Equateur province, and two of them came back positive, Felix Kabange Numbi said on state television Sunday. Congolese officials believe Ebola has killed 13 people in the region, including five health workers, Numbi said. He said 11 people were sick and in isolation and that 80 contacts were being traced. "This epidemic has nothing to do with the one in West Africa," Numbi said. This is the seventh outbreak of Ebola in Congo.
24.08.2014 - AP
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Ebola in Kongo DRC - Equateur: Boende / Jera
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (03): (EQUATEUR) CONFIRMED
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[1]
Date: 24 Aug 2014
Source BBC Online [Edited]
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28922290
The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed that an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in the north of the country has been identified as Ebola.
Health Minister Felix Numbi told the BBC that tests on two people had confirmed the disease in Equateur province, where 13 had already died.
But he said the deaths occurred in an isolated area and the disease seemed a different strain to West Africa's.
Dr Numbi said a quarantine zone was being set up to contain the disease.
The cases are the first reported outside West Africa since the outbreak there began.
There is no known cure but some affected people have recovered after being given an experimental drug, ZMapp. However, supplies are now exhausted.
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
*****
[2]
Date: 24 Aug 2014
AFP from Medical Express [Edited]
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-08-d ... ebola.html
DR Congo confirms first Ebola cases (Update)
--------------------------
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday confirmed its two first cases of Ebola this year, but claimed they were unrelated to the epidemic raging in four countries of West Africa.
The UN's World Health Organization also announced that one of its health experts, an epidemiologist, had been infected while working in Sierra Leone.
In Kinshasa, Congolese Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said that two of eight samples taken from victims of a mystery fever had tested positive for Ebola.
"The results are positive. The Ebola virus is confirmed in DRC," Kabange told AFP.
Speaking later on public television, he said the confirmation marked the seventh outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo, where the virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River.
But he said the two new cases had "no link to [the epidemic] raging in West Africa" and were different strains from one another.
Authorities immediately imposed a quarantine around the affected area in Equateur province near Jera, more than 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) northeast of the Congolese capital Kinshasa.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[This outbreak initially reported as suspected has now been confirmed. Sporadic and sometimes large Ebola virus disease outbreaks have occurred in this region dating back at least to the discovery of the virus. Its appearance in a remote area without the likelihood of communication with the West African region indicates the low likelihood that this outbreak is related to the large outbreak there. Like most outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in this region, we suspect it arises from exposure to wildlife, then via care of persons suffering from the illness or to their bodies postmortem. It is not clear whether statements that a different strain of Ebola virus is involved are based on the lower case fatality rate seen in the DRC outbreak or on laboratory data. Further information would be greatly appreciated. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
*****
[1]
Date: 24 Aug 2014
Source BBC Online [Edited]
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28922290
The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed that an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in the north of the country has been identified as Ebola.
Health Minister Felix Numbi told the BBC that tests on two people had confirmed the disease in Equateur province, where 13 had already died.
But he said the deaths occurred in an isolated area and the disease seemed a different strain to West Africa's.
Dr Numbi said a quarantine zone was being set up to contain the disease.
The cases are the first reported outside West Africa since the outbreak there began.
There is no known cure but some affected people have recovered after being given an experimental drug, ZMapp. However, supplies are now exhausted.
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
*****
[2]
Date: 24 Aug 2014
AFP from Medical Express [Edited]
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-08-d ... ebola.html
DR Congo confirms first Ebola cases (Update)
--------------------------
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday confirmed its two first cases of Ebola this year, but claimed they were unrelated to the epidemic raging in four countries of West Africa.
The UN's World Health Organization also announced that one of its health experts, an epidemiologist, had been infected while working in Sierra Leone.
In Kinshasa, Congolese Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said that two of eight samples taken from victims of a mystery fever had tested positive for Ebola.
"The results are positive. The Ebola virus is confirmed in DRC," Kabange told AFP.
Speaking later on public television, he said the confirmation marked the seventh outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo, where the virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River.
But he said the two new cases had "no link to [the epidemic] raging in West Africa" and were different strains from one another.
Authorities immediately imposed a quarantine around the affected area in Equateur province near Jera, more than 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) northeast of the Congolese capital Kinshasa.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[This outbreak initially reported as suspected has now been confirmed. Sporadic and sometimes large Ebola virus disease outbreaks have occurred in this region dating back at least to the discovery of the virus. Its appearance in a remote area without the likelihood of communication with the West African region indicates the low likelihood that this outbreak is related to the large outbreak there. Like most outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in this region, we suspect it arises from exposure to wildlife, then via care of persons suffering from the illness or to their bodies postmortem. It is not clear whether statements that a different strain of Ebola virus is involved are based on the lower case fatality rate seen in the DRC outbreak or on laboratory data. Further information would be greatly appreciated. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
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Ebola in Kongo DRC - Equateur: Boende / Jera
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (05): (EQUATEUR) UPDATE
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] CIDRAP comments
[3] Media report
******
[1] WHO update
Date: Wed 27 Aug 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response, Disease Outbreak News [edited]
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_08_27_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease -- Democratic Republic of Congo
---------------------------------------------------
Epidemiology and surveillance
-----------------------------
On 26 Aug 2014, the Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Equateur Province.
The index case was a pregnant woman from Ikanamongo Village who butchered a bush animal that had been killed and given to her by her husband. She became ill with symptoms of EVD and reported to a private clinic in Isaka Village. On 11 Aug 2014, she died of a then-unidentified haemorrhagic fever. Local customs and rituals associated with death meant that several health-care workers were exposed and presented with similar symptoms in the following week.
Between 28 Jul-18 Aug 2014, a total of 24 suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever, including 13 deaths, have been identified. Human-to-human transmission has been established and includes the health-care personnel who were exposed to the deceased pregnant woman during surgery (1 doctor and 2 nurses) in addition to the hygienist and a ward boy, all of whom developed symptoms and died. Other deaths have been recorded among the relatives who attended the index case, individuals who were in contact with the clinic staff, and those who handled the bodies of the deceased during funerals. The other 11 cases are currently being treated in isolation centres.
Samples have been sent to laboratories in Kinshasa and in Gabon for confirmation of EVD and to identify the strain. The index case and the 80 contacts have no history of travel to the EVD-affected countries in West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, or Sierra Leone) or history of contact with individuals from the affected areas. At this time, it is believed that the outbreak in DRC is unrelated to the ongoing outbreak in west Africa.
Health sector response
----------------------
The Ministry of Health of DRC has dispatched field teams to the area to monitor and evaluate the situation. Contact tracing has begun and 80 individuals are currently being followed-up. Treatment of patients is ongoing and infection prevention and control measures are in place and are being supported by WHO with the delivery of personal protective equipment to the area.
WHO is currently monitoring the situation with the Government of DRC and awaiting confirmation of the disease strain from the laboratories. A rapid response team is poised to deploy and assist DRC, if needed. This is the 7th outbreak of EVD in the former Zaire/present DRC since 1976.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied except in cases where individuals have been confirmed or are suspected of being infected with EVD or where individuals have had contact with cases of EVD. (Contacts do not include properly-protected health-care workers and laboratory staff.) Temporary recommendations from the Emergency Committee with regard to actions to be taken by countries can be found at:
IHR Emergency Committee on Ebola outbreak in west Africa
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/sta ... 140808/en/
--
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******
[2] CIDRAP comments
Date: Wed 27 Aug 2014
Source: CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy) News [Edited]
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspect ... a-outbreak
[CIDRAP comments:]
The 24 suspected cases and 13 deaths reported by the WHO match up with numbers given by DRC Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi on 24 Aug 2014, as reported by the media.
The WHO said samples have been sent to laboratories in Kinshasa (the DRC capital) and Gabon to confirm EVD and identify the strain, and results were still being awaited.
The 11 surviving patients were being treated in isolation centers, the agency reported. Meanwhile, the DRC has sent field teams to the area to evaluate the situation, and 80 contacts of the sick and deceased are being monitored.
A WHO rapid response team is ready to deploy and help the DRC if needed, the statement said.
The agency did not mention anything about earlier reports of 70 deaths in the outbreak area, the Boende region. Last week the WHO said those deaths were caused by hemorrhagic gastroenteritis unrelated to EVD, but on 24 Aug 2014, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said that that conclusion had been based on premature information and that samples had tested positive for EVD in a DRC lab.
Today [27 Aug 2014] the United Nations mission in the DRC said the UN has allocated USD 1.5 million to help the country fight the outbreak, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report. The amount, which comes from a fund for humanitarian needs, could double in the near future, the story said.
The current outbreak is the 7th in the DRC since EVD was discovered there in 1976.
[Byline: Robert Roos]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
******
[3] Media report
Date: Wed 27 Aug 2014
Source: Xinhua News Agency [edited]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/afric ... 926152.htm
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi told Xinhua on Wednesday [27 Aug 2014] that 6 cases of the Ebola virus [disease] that has plagued the province of Equateur were confirmed by laboratory tests.
"Statistics updated the field: the total number of cases reported since the beginning is 42, and 6 cases confirmed by laboratory, 13 probable and 23 suspect cases," said Kabange.
"The number of deaths is still 13, [of] which 5 [were] health workers. 11 people are in isolation, 6 new samples were done outside of the 8 already analyzed. 168 contacts are identified and monitored," said the minister.
According to the minutes of a cabinet meeting chaired Tuesday [26 Aug 2014] by President Joseph Kabila, "the president also instructed the government to mobilize the budgetary resources provided against the response to this epidemic."
Kabila has urged the government to make available to scientists and researchers the Congolese substantial resources to accelerate the development of a vaccine against this disease.
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
[24 suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) are noted, including 13 deaths. The index case, who became ill presumably on 28 Jul 2014 and died on 11 Aug 2014, is reported as having had exposure to bush meat, though the animal species involved and the exact nature of the exposure (hunting, butchering, cooking, consuming, etc.) are not noted. The remainder of the cases are reported to have been in contact with this index case either in the healthcare setting or elsewhere. The virus is said to be undergoing laboratory testing for strain designation, though prior reports indicated the Zaire strain of the virus. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/22231.]
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] CIDRAP comments
[3] Media report
******
[1] WHO update
Date: Wed 27 Aug 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response, Disease Outbreak News [edited]
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_08_27_ebola/en/
Ebola virus disease -- Democratic Republic of Congo
---------------------------------------------------
Epidemiology and surveillance
-----------------------------
On 26 Aug 2014, the Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Equateur Province.
The index case was a pregnant woman from Ikanamongo Village who butchered a bush animal that had been killed and given to her by her husband. She became ill with symptoms of EVD and reported to a private clinic in Isaka Village. On 11 Aug 2014, she died of a then-unidentified haemorrhagic fever. Local customs and rituals associated with death meant that several health-care workers were exposed and presented with similar symptoms in the following week.
Between 28 Jul-18 Aug 2014, a total of 24 suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever, including 13 deaths, have been identified. Human-to-human transmission has been established and includes the health-care personnel who were exposed to the deceased pregnant woman during surgery (1 doctor and 2 nurses) in addition to the hygienist and a ward boy, all of whom developed symptoms and died. Other deaths have been recorded among the relatives who attended the index case, individuals who were in contact with the clinic staff, and those who handled the bodies of the deceased during funerals. The other 11 cases are currently being treated in isolation centres.
Samples have been sent to laboratories in Kinshasa and in Gabon for confirmation of EVD and to identify the strain. The index case and the 80 contacts have no history of travel to the EVD-affected countries in West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, or Sierra Leone) or history of contact with individuals from the affected areas. At this time, it is believed that the outbreak in DRC is unrelated to the ongoing outbreak in west Africa.
Health sector response
----------------------
The Ministry of Health of DRC has dispatched field teams to the area to monitor and evaluate the situation. Contact tracing has begun and 80 individuals are currently being followed-up. Treatment of patients is ongoing and infection prevention and control measures are in place and are being supported by WHO with the delivery of personal protective equipment to the area.
WHO is currently monitoring the situation with the Government of DRC and awaiting confirmation of the disease strain from the laboratories. A rapid response team is poised to deploy and assist DRC, if needed. This is the 7th outbreak of EVD in the former Zaire/present DRC since 1976.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied except in cases where individuals have been confirmed or are suspected of being infected with EVD or where individuals have had contact with cases of EVD. (Contacts do not include properly-protected health-care workers and laboratory staff.) Temporary recommendations from the Emergency Committee with regard to actions to be taken by countries can be found at:
IHR Emergency Committee on Ebola outbreak in west Africa
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/sta ... 140808/en/
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[2] CIDRAP comments
Date: Wed 27 Aug 2014
Source: CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy) News [Edited]
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspect ... a-outbreak
[CIDRAP comments:]
The 24 suspected cases and 13 deaths reported by the WHO match up with numbers given by DRC Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi on 24 Aug 2014, as reported by the media.
The WHO said samples have been sent to laboratories in Kinshasa (the DRC capital) and Gabon to confirm EVD and identify the strain, and results were still being awaited.
The 11 surviving patients were being treated in isolation centers, the agency reported. Meanwhile, the DRC has sent field teams to the area to evaluate the situation, and 80 contacts of the sick and deceased are being monitored.
A WHO rapid response team is ready to deploy and help the DRC if needed, the statement said.
The agency did not mention anything about earlier reports of 70 deaths in the outbreak area, the Boende region. Last week the WHO said those deaths were caused by hemorrhagic gastroenteritis unrelated to EVD, but on 24 Aug 2014, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said that that conclusion had been based on premature information and that samples had tested positive for EVD in a DRC lab.
Today [27 Aug 2014] the United Nations mission in the DRC said the UN has allocated USD 1.5 million to help the country fight the outbreak, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report. The amount, which comes from a fund for humanitarian needs, could double in the near future, the story said.
The current outbreak is the 7th in the DRC since EVD was discovered there in 1976.
[Byline: Robert Roos]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
******
[3] Media report
Date: Wed 27 Aug 2014
Source: Xinhua News Agency [edited]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/afric ... 926152.htm
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi told Xinhua on Wednesday [27 Aug 2014] that 6 cases of the Ebola virus [disease] that has plagued the province of Equateur were confirmed by laboratory tests.
"Statistics updated the field: the total number of cases reported since the beginning is 42, and 6 cases confirmed by laboratory, 13 probable and 23 suspect cases," said Kabange.
"The number of deaths is still 13, [of] which 5 [were] health workers. 11 people are in isolation, 6 new samples were done outside of the 8 already analyzed. 168 contacts are identified and monitored," said the minister.
According to the minutes of a cabinet meeting chaired Tuesday [26 Aug 2014] by President Joseph Kabila, "the president also instructed the government to mobilize the budgetary resources provided against the response to this epidemic."
Kabila has urged the government to make available to scientists and researchers the Congolese substantial resources to accelerate the development of a vaccine against this disease.
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
[24 suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) are noted, including 13 deaths. The index case, who became ill presumably on 28 Jul 2014 and died on 11 Aug 2014, is reported as having had exposure to bush meat, though the animal species involved and the exact nature of the exposure (hunting, butchering, cooking, consuming, etc.) are not noted. The remainder of the cases are reported to have been in contact with this index case either in the healthcare setting or elsewhere. The virus is said to be undergoing laboratory testing for strain designation, though prior reports indicated the Zaire strain of the virus. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/22231.]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola in Kongo DRC - Equateur / Boende
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (06): (EQUATEUR) UPDATE
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this posting:
[1] Cases
[2] Botswana blocks Congo exports
******
[1] Cases
Date: Sat 30 Aug 2014
Source: Newstime Africa, Anadolu Agency report [edited]
http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/35206
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed 7 new Ebola cases in the northwestern Equateur Province, bringing up to 13 the number of people who had contracted the deadly virus in the province, a UN-run radio station said Friday [29 Aug 2014]. "There are now 13 cases affected by the virus ... in addition to 16 other suspected cases," Health Minister Felix Kabange was quoted as saying by the Kinshasa-based Okapi radio. He asserted that the outbreak is still confined to Boende area in northern Equateur province, noting that Ebola cases reported recently in Kinshasa and Katanga proved negative.
On Monday [25 Aug 2014], Joseph Mboyo Limpoko, government medical inspector in Equateur, told Anadolu Agency that a total of 4 people countrywide had been confirmed dead from Ebola.
The tropical fever, which 1st appeared in 1976 in Sudan and the DRC, can be transmitted to humans from wild animals. It also spreads through contact with the body fluids of infected persons or of those who have died of the disease.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[There has been little official update regarding the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in DRC, and the numbers here are confusing. This report appears to indicate an increase in the number of confirmed plus suspected cases to 29, from the 24 suspected and confirmed cases reported by WHO in their last update from 27 Aug 2014. Thus far, the outbreak appears to be similar to past outbreaks in DRC, in contrast to the explosive spread in West Africa. - Mod.LM]
******
[2] Botswana blocks Congo exports
Date: Thu 28 Aug 2014
Source: Wall Street Journal, Frontiers blog [edited]
http://blogs.wsj.com/frontiers/2014/08/ ... -outbreak/
Botswana's authorities have blocked the transit of copper exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo after an outbreak of Ebola in the continent's top copper producer, the latest African nation to adopt measures to prevent the deadly virus from breaching its borders.
Scores of trucks carrying copper and cobalt exports from Congo's land-locked Katanga province have not been allowed to cross into Botswana since 25 Aug [2014], the same day Kinshasa confirmed its 1st case of the Ebola virus since 2008, Zambian and Botswana officials said on Thursday [28 Aug 2014].
Although the strain of Ebola virus in Congo is not the same as the strains that have ravaged West Africa in recent months, the latest outbreak of the disease has triggered fears in the region, prompting countries to heighten control measures across their borders.
"We are not clearing all vehicles from Congo until further notice," a Botswana customs official said by telephone from the border town of Kazungula. "We have advised them to use alternative routes."
Separately, Pascalina Musokotwane, Zambia's district commissioner, said the number of Congolese nationals and trucks stuck on the Zambian side of the border with Botswana, since the blockade there, threaten to overwhelm Zambia's facilities in the small but vital border town of Kazungula.
[Byline: Nicholas Bariyo]
[The map shows the circuitous route road exports must take through neighbouring countries to reach South Africa.
http://dayspringschool.com/sitebuilderc ... africa.gif - Mod.JW]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Given the general level of concern regarding EVD, border and trade restrictions are not surprising, despite WHO's advice to the contrary. These types of restrictions more often hinder the response, burden the population and the economy, and do little to prevent the spread of disease. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/22231.]
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this posting:
[1] Cases
[2] Botswana blocks Congo exports
******
[1] Cases
Date: Sat 30 Aug 2014
Source: Newstime Africa, Anadolu Agency report [edited]
http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/35206
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed 7 new Ebola cases in the northwestern Equateur Province, bringing up to 13 the number of people who had contracted the deadly virus in the province, a UN-run radio station said Friday [29 Aug 2014]. "There are now 13 cases affected by the virus ... in addition to 16 other suspected cases," Health Minister Felix Kabange was quoted as saying by the Kinshasa-based Okapi radio. He asserted that the outbreak is still confined to Boende area in northern Equateur province, noting that Ebola cases reported recently in Kinshasa and Katanga proved negative.
On Monday [25 Aug 2014], Joseph Mboyo Limpoko, government medical inspector in Equateur, told Anadolu Agency that a total of 4 people countrywide had been confirmed dead from Ebola.
The tropical fever, which 1st appeared in 1976 in Sudan and the DRC, can be transmitted to humans from wild animals. It also spreads through contact with the body fluids of infected persons or of those who have died of the disease.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[There has been little official update regarding the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in DRC, and the numbers here are confusing. This report appears to indicate an increase in the number of confirmed plus suspected cases to 29, from the 24 suspected and confirmed cases reported by WHO in their last update from 27 Aug 2014. Thus far, the outbreak appears to be similar to past outbreaks in DRC, in contrast to the explosive spread in West Africa. - Mod.LM]
******
[2] Botswana blocks Congo exports
Date: Thu 28 Aug 2014
Source: Wall Street Journal, Frontiers blog [edited]
http://blogs.wsj.com/frontiers/2014/08/ ... -outbreak/
Botswana's authorities have blocked the transit of copper exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo after an outbreak of Ebola in the continent's top copper producer, the latest African nation to adopt measures to prevent the deadly virus from breaching its borders.
Scores of trucks carrying copper and cobalt exports from Congo's land-locked Katanga province have not been allowed to cross into Botswana since 25 Aug [2014], the same day Kinshasa confirmed its 1st case of the Ebola virus since 2008, Zambian and Botswana officials said on Thursday [28 Aug 2014].
Although the strain of Ebola virus in Congo is not the same as the strains that have ravaged West Africa in recent months, the latest outbreak of the disease has triggered fears in the region, prompting countries to heighten control measures across their borders.
"We are not clearing all vehicles from Congo until further notice," a Botswana customs official said by telephone from the border town of Kazungula. "We have advised them to use alternative routes."
Separately, Pascalina Musokotwane, Zambia's district commissioner, said the number of Congolese nationals and trucks stuck on the Zambian side of the border with Botswana, since the blockade there, threaten to overwhelm Zambia's facilities in the small but vital border town of Kazungula.
[Byline: Nicholas Bariyo]
[The map shows the circuitous route road exports must take through neighbouring countries to reach South Africa.
http://dayspringschool.com/sitebuilderc ... africa.gif - Mod.JW]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Given the general level of concern regarding EVD, border and trade restrictions are not surprising, despite WHO's advice to the contrary. These types of restrictions more often hinder the response, burden the population and the economy, and do little to prevent the spread of disease. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/22231.]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Equateur / Eastern Kasai
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (07): (EQUATEUR), UPDATE, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
**************************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] Update
[2] Relief web - OCHA update 30 Aug 2014
[3] More virologic information
******
[1] Update
Date: 2 Sep 2014
Source: Forbes [edited]
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/ ... -of-congo/
If there can be any good news coming out of the African continent regarding this year's [2014] Ebola outbreaks, we have one positive report this morning [2 Sep 2014]. The World Health Organization has just confirmed that the newly-identified cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo are genetically unrelated to the strain currently circulating in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.
A WHO collaborating research center in Franceville, Gabon, the Centre International de Recherches Medicales, had previously identified 6 Ebola positive samples sent to the laboratory. They report today [2 Sep 2014] that "the virus in the Boende district is definitely not derived from the virus strain currently circulating in West Africa." WHO added: "Results from the virus characterization, together with findings from the epidemiological investigation, are definitive: the outbreak in DRC is a distinct and independent event, with no relationship to the outbreak in West Africa."
The finding is worthy of such emphasis because of concerns that the West African outbreak had somehow spread to the DRC, formerly Zaire. The viruses in each outbreak are genetically distinct, but they are both of the Zaire species of Ebola virus, a fact that might be confused as meaning the outbreaks are related.
The new outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is unrelated to the ongoing West African strain of the disease.
The form of the Zaire virus currently circulating in the DRC is most closely related to one responsible for an outbreak in 1995 in the city of Kikwit. Ebola virus 1st emerged in the DRC and South Sudan in 1976. The current outbreak in the DRC is the 7th on record.
The index case has been clearly identified as a pregnant woman from Ikanamongo Village who died on 11 Aug 2014 after preparing bushmeat that her husband had hunted.
The means of viral spread, as reported by WHO, is typical of most Ebola outbreaks: "Local customs and rituals associated with death meant that several health-care workers were exposed and presented with similar symptoms in the following week."
Thus far, WHO has identified 53 cases consistent with a diagnosis of Ebola, including 31 deaths. Seven of the dead were health care workers. But WHO stressed that the outbreak is primarily occurring in a remote region of the DRC, about 750 miles from the capital of Kinshasa.
--
communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
******
[2] Relief web - OCHA update 30 Aug 2014
Date: 30 Aug 2014
Source: Relief web OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) [edited]
http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic- ... ugust-2014
The total number of cases identified in the Boende health zone as of [29 Aug 2014] is 53, including 13 confirmed cases. Among the remaining 40 cases, 21 are probable, and 12 are suspected cases and are being followed up by the field teams.
The number of deaths remains 13, no additional death recorded.
Analysis conducted on all samples from Boende which had been sent to Germany reveals the ZAIRE strain, 99 per cent homologous to KIKWIT. [There was an outbreak of EBV in Kikwit Zaire in 1995].
The cities of Boende, Monkoto (Equateur), and Lomela (northern Eastern Kasai) are currently considered to be at risk. One of the patients hospitalised at the HGR Boende had managed to escape before being recovered by the services deployed to the field.
Coordination [activities include]:
- Publication of guidelines for travellers to foreign countries from DRC border posts by the National Programme on Hygiene at the Borders (NPHB).
- Holding of daily meetings of the National Committee on Coordination (CNC) at the office of the minister of health.
Security and logistics:
- Announcement by the Government of the provision of a cargo flight today, 30 Aug 2014.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3] More virologic information
Date: 2 Sep 2014 [accessed]
Source: EIN News Desk [edited]
http://world.einnews.com/pr_news/221624 ... c-of-congo
Results from virus sequencing of samples from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were received last night [1 Sep 2014]. The virus is the Zaire strain in a lineage most closely related to a virus from the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC.
The Zaire strain of the virus is indigenous in the country. Ebola 1st emerged in 1976 in almost simultaneous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) and South Sudan (then Sudan). Confirmatory testing was done at Gabon's Centre International de Recherches Medicales in Franceville, a WHO collaborating centre. Earlier, testing in DRC confirmed Ebola in 6 of 8 samples.
The outbreak is located in the remote Boende district, Equateur province in the north western part of the country.
Results from virus characterization, together with findings from the epidemiological investigation, are definitive: the outbreak in DRC is a distinct and independent event with no relationship to the outbreak in West Africa. As the Gabon laboratory report clearly stated, "the virus in the Boende district is definitely not derived from the virus strain currently circulating in West Africa."
These findings are reassuring, as they exclude the possibility that the virus has spread from West to Central Africa. Epidemiological investigation has linked the index case, who died on 11 Aug 2014, to the preparation of bushmeat for consumption.
This is the country's 7th Ebola outbreak since 1976. The introduction of the virus into the human population following contact with infected bushmeat (usually fruit bats or monkeys) is consistent with the pattern seen at the start of previous outbreaks. The virus is now spreading from person to person.
The response team has, to date, identified 53 cases consistent with the case definition for Ebola virus disease, including 31 deaths. Seven of these deaths were among health care workers. More than 160 contacts are being traced.
The government has rapidly mounted a robust response by reactivating emergency committees at national, provincial, and local levels, setting up isolation centres, and providing community leaders with facts about the disease. The government will ensure that all burials are safe. The WHO team confirmed that collaboration between the government and its key partners is excellent.
The outbreak zone, where the most intense transmission is occurring, is remote, located some 1200 km from the capital city, Kinshasa. No paved roads run from the outbreak zone to Kinshasa. However, cases have been detected or transmission is ongoing at 3 sites, underscoring the need to watch the outbreak's evolution closely.
Motorcycles, canoes, and satellite phones have been supplied to facilitate outbreak investigation and contact tracing. A dedicated helicopter will be made available soon.
WHO media contacts:
Fadela Chaib Telephone: + 41 22 791 3228 Mobile:+ 41 79 475 55 56 Email: <chaibf@who.int>
Tarik Jasarevic Mobile: +41 793 676 214 Tel: +41 22 791 5099 E-mail: <jasarevict@who.int>
--
communicated by:
ProMED-MENA
<promed-mena@promedmail.org>
[The DRC Ebola virus disease outbreak continues to grow. Though ProMED-mail and its members would appreciate reliable numbers from any available source, the 1st report above indicates 53 cases (suspected plus confirmed?) and 31 deaths including 7 health care workers.
Virologic data that the virus is nearly identical to the Kikwit strain are compatible with epidemiology confirming that the DRC outbreak is unrelated to the West African epidemic. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
**************************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] Update
[2] Relief web - OCHA update 30 Aug 2014
[3] More virologic information
******
[1] Update
Date: 2 Sep 2014
Source: Forbes [edited]
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/ ... -of-congo/
If there can be any good news coming out of the African continent regarding this year's [2014] Ebola outbreaks, we have one positive report this morning [2 Sep 2014]. The World Health Organization has just confirmed that the newly-identified cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo are genetically unrelated to the strain currently circulating in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.
A WHO collaborating research center in Franceville, Gabon, the Centre International de Recherches Medicales, had previously identified 6 Ebola positive samples sent to the laboratory. They report today [2 Sep 2014] that "the virus in the Boende district is definitely not derived from the virus strain currently circulating in West Africa." WHO added: "Results from the virus characterization, together with findings from the epidemiological investigation, are definitive: the outbreak in DRC is a distinct and independent event, with no relationship to the outbreak in West Africa."
The finding is worthy of such emphasis because of concerns that the West African outbreak had somehow spread to the DRC, formerly Zaire. The viruses in each outbreak are genetically distinct, but they are both of the Zaire species of Ebola virus, a fact that might be confused as meaning the outbreaks are related.
The new outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is unrelated to the ongoing West African strain of the disease.
The form of the Zaire virus currently circulating in the DRC is most closely related to one responsible for an outbreak in 1995 in the city of Kikwit. Ebola virus 1st emerged in the DRC and South Sudan in 1976. The current outbreak in the DRC is the 7th on record.
The index case has been clearly identified as a pregnant woman from Ikanamongo Village who died on 11 Aug 2014 after preparing bushmeat that her husband had hunted.
The means of viral spread, as reported by WHO, is typical of most Ebola outbreaks: "Local customs and rituals associated with death meant that several health-care workers were exposed and presented with similar symptoms in the following week."
Thus far, WHO has identified 53 cases consistent with a diagnosis of Ebola, including 31 deaths. Seven of the dead were health care workers. But WHO stressed that the outbreak is primarily occurring in a remote region of the DRC, about 750 miles from the capital of Kinshasa.
--
communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
******
[2] Relief web - OCHA update 30 Aug 2014
Date: 30 Aug 2014
Source: Relief web OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) [edited]
http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic- ... ugust-2014
The total number of cases identified in the Boende health zone as of [29 Aug 2014] is 53, including 13 confirmed cases. Among the remaining 40 cases, 21 are probable, and 12 are suspected cases and are being followed up by the field teams.
The number of deaths remains 13, no additional death recorded.
Analysis conducted on all samples from Boende which had been sent to Germany reveals the ZAIRE strain, 99 per cent homologous to KIKWIT. [There was an outbreak of EBV in Kikwit Zaire in 1995].
The cities of Boende, Monkoto (Equateur), and Lomela (northern Eastern Kasai) are currently considered to be at risk. One of the patients hospitalised at the HGR Boende had managed to escape before being recovered by the services deployed to the field.
Coordination [activities include]:
- Publication of guidelines for travellers to foreign countries from DRC border posts by the National Programme on Hygiene at the Borders (NPHB).
- Holding of daily meetings of the National Committee on Coordination (CNC) at the office of the minister of health.
Security and logistics:
- Announcement by the Government of the provision of a cargo flight today, 30 Aug 2014.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3] More virologic information
Date: 2 Sep 2014 [accessed]
Source: EIN News Desk [edited]
http://world.einnews.com/pr_news/221624 ... c-of-congo
Results from virus sequencing of samples from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were received last night [1 Sep 2014]. The virus is the Zaire strain in a lineage most closely related to a virus from the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC.
The Zaire strain of the virus is indigenous in the country. Ebola 1st emerged in 1976 in almost simultaneous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) and South Sudan (then Sudan). Confirmatory testing was done at Gabon's Centre International de Recherches Medicales in Franceville, a WHO collaborating centre. Earlier, testing in DRC confirmed Ebola in 6 of 8 samples.
The outbreak is located in the remote Boende district, Equateur province in the north western part of the country.
Results from virus characterization, together with findings from the epidemiological investigation, are definitive: the outbreak in DRC is a distinct and independent event with no relationship to the outbreak in West Africa. As the Gabon laboratory report clearly stated, "the virus in the Boende district is definitely not derived from the virus strain currently circulating in West Africa."
These findings are reassuring, as they exclude the possibility that the virus has spread from West to Central Africa. Epidemiological investigation has linked the index case, who died on 11 Aug 2014, to the preparation of bushmeat for consumption.
This is the country's 7th Ebola outbreak since 1976. The introduction of the virus into the human population following contact with infected bushmeat (usually fruit bats or monkeys) is consistent with the pattern seen at the start of previous outbreaks. The virus is now spreading from person to person.
The response team has, to date, identified 53 cases consistent with the case definition for Ebola virus disease, including 31 deaths. Seven of these deaths were among health care workers. More than 160 contacts are being traced.
The government has rapidly mounted a robust response by reactivating emergency committees at national, provincial, and local levels, setting up isolation centres, and providing community leaders with facts about the disease. The government will ensure that all burials are safe. The WHO team confirmed that collaboration between the government and its key partners is excellent.
The outbreak zone, where the most intense transmission is occurring, is remote, located some 1200 km from the capital city, Kinshasa. No paved roads run from the outbreak zone to Kinshasa. However, cases have been detected or transmission is ongoing at 3 sites, underscoring the need to watch the outbreak's evolution closely.
Motorcycles, canoes, and satellite phones have been supplied to facilitate outbreak investigation and contact tracing. A dedicated helicopter will be made available soon.
WHO media contacts:
Fadela Chaib Telephone: + 41 22 791 3228 Mobile:+ 41 79 475 55 56 Email: <chaibf@who.int>
Tarik Jasarevic Mobile: +41 793 676 214 Tel: +41 22 791 5099 E-mail: <jasarevict@who.int>
--
communicated by:
ProMED-MENA
<promed-mena@promedmail.org>
[The DRC Ebola virus disease outbreak continues to grow. Though ProMED-mail and its members would appreciate reliable numbers from any available source, the 1st report above indicates 53 cases (suspected plus confirmed?) and 31 deaths including 7 health care workers.
Virologic data that the virus is nearly identical to the Kikwit strain are compatible with epidemiology confirming that the DRC outbreak is unrelated to the West African epidemic. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Equateur / Boende
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (08): (EQUATEUR) UPDATE, WHO
*****************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] Media report
[2] WHO: virological analysis
******
[1] Media report
Date: Wed 3 Sep 2014
Source: Africatime.com [in French, machine trans. & edited Mod.LM]
http://fr.africatime.com/db/epidemie-de ... s-notifies
The updated statistics of the Congolese Ministry of Health on the epidemic of Ebola virus disease plaguing the Boende health zone south of Equateur province in north western DRC indicate that 5 new cases have recently been reported, thus raising the number of cases from 53 to 58 between 1 Sep and 3 Sep 2014.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, there is a cumulative total of 58 cases, with 13 confirmed, 22 probable, and 23 suspected, and 31 deaths (mortality rate 53.4 per cent), including 6 health workers. To date, 291 people have been in contact patients are followed which 285 were seen.
The minister of health, Dr Felix Kabange Numbi, arrived on Tuesday [2 Sep 2014] in Boende after a 24 hour stopover in Mbandaka, capital of Equateur, at the head of a delegation that includes the representative of World Health Organization (WHO) in the DRC, Dr Joseph Waogodo Cabore, director of the Department of Vaccines and Immunization at WHO in Geneva, Dr Jean Marie Okwo Bele (originally from the DRC) and director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) Kinshasa, and the professor and virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum.
According to a press release from the WHO office in the DRC, the Congolese minister of public health said during his visit to Mbandaka the DRC and its partners are launching a major challenge, which has the capacity to interrupt the chain of transmission of this deadly virus within 45 days. He also said it is crucial that the Ebola virus disease remains confined in the one area of Boende and it does not reach Mbandaka, the provincial County seat, with access and exchange with Kinshasa via the Congo River.
The Boende Health Zone is located 1200 kilometers [746 mi] from Kinshasa, and 600 km [373 mi] south east of Mbandaka, in a region with a large amount of water, including large Lomela, Salonga, and Tshuapa rivers, experiencing intense fishing activities and trade of food products with other border communities of 2 neighboring provinces further south, Kasai Occidental and Kasai Oriental. In the city of Boende, located 68 km [42 mi] from Lokolia which is the epicenter of the epidemic, there is the International Committee of Technical and Scientific Coordination (CICTS), which coordinates the management of all the statistics of the epidemic, developing an update of the status report of the disease. CICTS must ensure infection control in the Isolation Centre set up by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Dr Jean-Marie Okwo Bele WHO/Geneva appreciated the efforts of both national and provincial authorities for their leadership and coordination for the ownership of the fight against Ebola in this vast province of Equateur. Dr Okwo Bele also called for intensified epidemiological surveillance so that there are no silent areas that do not report data in a time of epidemic. "It is very important to raise awareness to detect the sources of infection of the disease spread, in most cases, at funerals and unsecured burials," he said.
To achieve a strategic and appropriate response to face the current epidemic in the northwest of the country, the WHO representative in the DRC explained, for its part, requires commitment and close collaboration between the government and key partners. "WHO provides epidemiologists and experts in various fields, protection kits and is also responsible for the management of payment to providers in Boende," said Dr Cabore. He summed up the main line contributions of other partners: UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, OCHA, MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC], CDC, USAID, MSF, etc., in lending a helping hand to the authorities in terms of logistics and telecommunications.
--
communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
******
[2] WHO: virological analysis
Date: Tue 2 Sep 2014
Source: WHO Media Center, News, Ebola virus disease: situation assessments
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebo ... r-2014/en/
Virological analysis: no link between Ebola outbreaks in west Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo
Situation assessment -- 2 Sep 2014 (updated 3 Sep 2014]
-------------------------------------------------------
Results from virus sequencing of samples from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were received last night. The virus is the Zaire species, in a lineage most closely related to a virus from the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC. The Zaire species of the virus is indigenous in the country. Ebola first emerged in 1976 in almost simultaneous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) and South Sudan (then Sudan).
Confirmatory testing was done at Gabon's Centre International de Recherches Medicales in Franceville, a WHO collaborating centre. Earlier, testing in DRC confirmed Ebola in 6 of 8 samples.
The outbreak is located in the remote Boende district, Equateur province in the north western part of the country.
Results from virus characterization, together with findings from the epidemiological investigation, are definitive: the outbreak in DRC is a distinct and independent event, with no relationship to the outbreak in west Africa. As the Gabon laboratory report clearly stated, "the virus in the Boende district is definitely not derived from the variant currently circulating in west Africa." These findings are reassuring, as they exclude the possibility that the virus has spread from West to Central Africa.
Epidemiological investigation has linked the index case, who died on [11 Aug 2014], to the preparation of bushmeat for consumption. This is the country's 7th Ebola outbreak since 1976. The introduction of the virus into the human population following contact with infected bushmeat (usually fruit bats or monkeys) is consistent with the pattern seen at the start of previous outbreaks. The virus is now spreading from person to person.
The response team has, to date, identified 53 cases consistent with the case definition for Ebola virus disease, including 31 deaths. 7 of these deaths were among health care workers. More than 160 contacts are being traced. The government has rapidly mounted a robust response by reactivating emergency committees at national, provincial, and local levels, setting up isolation centres, and providing community leaders with facts about the disease. The government will ensure that all burials are safe. The WHO team confirmed that collaboration between the government and its key partners is excellent.
The outbreak zone, where the most intense transmission is occurring, is remote, located some 1200 kilometres [746 mi] from the capital city, Kinshasa. No paved roads run from the outbreak zone to Kinshasa. However, cases have been detected or transmission is ongoing at three sites, underscoring the need to watch the outbreak's evolution closely. Motorcycles, canoes, and satellite phones have been supplied to facilitate outbreak investigation and contact tracing. A dedicated helicopter will be made available soon.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[There is little additional information available.
The media report above indicates that the DRC MOH is reporting 5 new cases since the 1 Sep 2014 update. The WHO press release appears to be the source of much of the information contained in the most recent media reports. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/41304.]
*****************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] Media report
[2] WHO: virological analysis
******
[1] Media report
Date: Wed 3 Sep 2014
Source: Africatime.com [in French, machine trans. & edited Mod.LM]
http://fr.africatime.com/db/epidemie-de ... s-notifies
The updated statistics of the Congolese Ministry of Health on the epidemic of Ebola virus disease plaguing the Boende health zone south of Equateur province in north western DRC indicate that 5 new cases have recently been reported, thus raising the number of cases from 53 to 58 between 1 Sep and 3 Sep 2014.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, there is a cumulative total of 58 cases, with 13 confirmed, 22 probable, and 23 suspected, and 31 deaths (mortality rate 53.4 per cent), including 6 health workers. To date, 291 people have been in contact patients are followed which 285 were seen.
The minister of health, Dr Felix Kabange Numbi, arrived on Tuesday [2 Sep 2014] in Boende after a 24 hour stopover in Mbandaka, capital of Equateur, at the head of a delegation that includes the representative of World Health Organization (WHO) in the DRC, Dr Joseph Waogodo Cabore, director of the Department of Vaccines and Immunization at WHO in Geneva, Dr Jean Marie Okwo Bele (originally from the DRC) and director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) Kinshasa, and the professor and virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum.
According to a press release from the WHO office in the DRC, the Congolese minister of public health said during his visit to Mbandaka the DRC and its partners are launching a major challenge, which has the capacity to interrupt the chain of transmission of this deadly virus within 45 days. He also said it is crucial that the Ebola virus disease remains confined in the one area of Boende and it does not reach Mbandaka, the provincial County seat, with access and exchange with Kinshasa via the Congo River.
The Boende Health Zone is located 1200 kilometers [746 mi] from Kinshasa, and 600 km [373 mi] south east of Mbandaka, in a region with a large amount of water, including large Lomela, Salonga, and Tshuapa rivers, experiencing intense fishing activities and trade of food products with other border communities of 2 neighboring provinces further south, Kasai Occidental and Kasai Oriental. In the city of Boende, located 68 km [42 mi] from Lokolia which is the epicenter of the epidemic, there is the International Committee of Technical and Scientific Coordination (CICTS), which coordinates the management of all the statistics of the epidemic, developing an update of the status report of the disease. CICTS must ensure infection control in the Isolation Centre set up by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Dr Jean-Marie Okwo Bele WHO/Geneva appreciated the efforts of both national and provincial authorities for their leadership and coordination for the ownership of the fight against Ebola in this vast province of Equateur. Dr Okwo Bele also called for intensified epidemiological surveillance so that there are no silent areas that do not report data in a time of epidemic. "It is very important to raise awareness to detect the sources of infection of the disease spread, in most cases, at funerals and unsecured burials," he said.
To achieve a strategic and appropriate response to face the current epidemic in the northwest of the country, the WHO representative in the DRC explained, for its part, requires commitment and close collaboration between the government and key partners. "WHO provides epidemiologists and experts in various fields, protection kits and is also responsible for the management of payment to providers in Boende," said Dr Cabore. He summed up the main line contributions of other partners: UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, OCHA, MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC], CDC, USAID, MSF, etc., in lending a helping hand to the authorities in terms of logistics and telecommunications.
--
communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
******
[2] WHO: virological analysis
Date: Tue 2 Sep 2014
Source: WHO Media Center, News, Ebola virus disease: situation assessments
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebo ... r-2014/en/
Virological analysis: no link between Ebola outbreaks in west Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo
Situation assessment -- 2 Sep 2014 (updated 3 Sep 2014]
-------------------------------------------------------
Results from virus sequencing of samples from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were received last night. The virus is the Zaire species, in a lineage most closely related to a virus from the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC. The Zaire species of the virus is indigenous in the country. Ebola first emerged in 1976 in almost simultaneous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) and South Sudan (then Sudan).
Confirmatory testing was done at Gabon's Centre International de Recherches Medicales in Franceville, a WHO collaborating centre. Earlier, testing in DRC confirmed Ebola in 6 of 8 samples.
The outbreak is located in the remote Boende district, Equateur province in the north western part of the country.
Results from virus characterization, together with findings from the epidemiological investigation, are definitive: the outbreak in DRC is a distinct and independent event, with no relationship to the outbreak in west Africa. As the Gabon laboratory report clearly stated, "the virus in the Boende district is definitely not derived from the variant currently circulating in west Africa." These findings are reassuring, as they exclude the possibility that the virus has spread from West to Central Africa.
Epidemiological investigation has linked the index case, who died on [11 Aug 2014], to the preparation of bushmeat for consumption. This is the country's 7th Ebola outbreak since 1976. The introduction of the virus into the human population following contact with infected bushmeat (usually fruit bats or monkeys) is consistent with the pattern seen at the start of previous outbreaks. The virus is now spreading from person to person.
The response team has, to date, identified 53 cases consistent with the case definition for Ebola virus disease, including 31 deaths. 7 of these deaths were among health care workers. More than 160 contacts are being traced. The government has rapidly mounted a robust response by reactivating emergency committees at national, provincial, and local levels, setting up isolation centres, and providing community leaders with facts about the disease. The government will ensure that all burials are safe. The WHO team confirmed that collaboration between the government and its key partners is excellent.
The outbreak zone, where the most intense transmission is occurring, is remote, located some 1200 kilometres [746 mi] from the capital city, Kinshasa. No paved roads run from the outbreak zone to Kinshasa. However, cases have been detected or transmission is ongoing at three sites, underscoring the need to watch the outbreak's evolution closely. Motorcycles, canoes, and satellite phones have been supplied to facilitate outbreak investigation and contact tracing. A dedicated helicopter will be made available soon.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
[There is little additional information available.
The media report above indicates that the DRC MOH is reporting 5 new cases since the 1 Sep 2014 update. The WHO press release appears to be the source of much of the information contained in the most recent media reports. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/41304.]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Boende
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (09): (EQUATEUR) UPDATE
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 6 Sep 2014
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited]
http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-ebola-de ... 20221.html
The Democratic Republic of Congo upped its death toll from Ebola [virus disease] on [Sat 6 Sep 2014] to 32 but insisted the outbreak, separate from an epidemic raging in west Africa, could be contained in its remote forest hotspot.
"We have registered 32 deaths," one up from a toll issued on Tuesday [2 Sep 2014], Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi told a press conference.
Kabange tallied 59 likely or confirmed cases of the tropical fever, saying the "big challenge" was to survey suspicious cases in order to staunch the contagion.
He said 336 people have had contact with Ebola sufferers or the bodies of victims, up from 285 on Tuesday [2 Sep 2014].
The DRC has given itself 45 days to break the transmission chain of the viral disease, which can spread by contact with bodily fluids and has killed more than 2000 people in 4 West African nations this year [2014].
But Kabange said the outbreak in DRC -- where Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the river of the same name in what was then Zaire -- "remains contained."
He recently returned from a trip to the affected region, near the city of Boende some 800 kilometres (500 miles) northwest of Kinshasa in Equateur province.
Authorities have implemented "protected burials" for any funeral, irrespective of whether the victim died from Ebola, in the 23 villages affected by the outbreak, he said.
While the outbreak is located far from urban centres in the heart of dense equatorial forest, reducing the risk of contagion, its remoteness has made aid delivery a particular challenge.
Decades of neglect have devastated road and rail infrastructure, also hampering efforts to quarantine patients.
Kabange said aid groups had established "an air drop in order to deliver medical supplies."
Last week, the UN announced it had released USD 1.5 million (1.3 million euros) to help the government in Kinshasa combat the outbreak, with the prospect of doubling that sum.
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
[This report adds one additional case (suspected and confirmed) and one additional death to the most recent report from 3 Sep 2014. There has been no evidence of geographic spread of the outbreak beyond the single area of DRC.
A similar media report was submitted by ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/41304.]
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 6 Sep 2014
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited]
http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-ebola-de ... 20221.html
The Democratic Republic of Congo upped its death toll from Ebola [virus disease] on [Sat 6 Sep 2014] to 32 but insisted the outbreak, separate from an epidemic raging in west Africa, could be contained in its remote forest hotspot.
"We have registered 32 deaths," one up from a toll issued on Tuesday [2 Sep 2014], Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi told a press conference.
Kabange tallied 59 likely or confirmed cases of the tropical fever, saying the "big challenge" was to survey suspicious cases in order to staunch the contagion.
He said 336 people have had contact with Ebola sufferers or the bodies of victims, up from 285 on Tuesday [2 Sep 2014].
The DRC has given itself 45 days to break the transmission chain of the viral disease, which can spread by contact with bodily fluids and has killed more than 2000 people in 4 West African nations this year [2014].
But Kabange said the outbreak in DRC -- where Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the river of the same name in what was then Zaire -- "remains contained."
He recently returned from a trip to the affected region, near the city of Boende some 800 kilometres (500 miles) northwest of Kinshasa in Equateur province.
Authorities have implemented "protected burials" for any funeral, irrespective of whether the victim died from Ebola, in the 23 villages affected by the outbreak, he said.
While the outbreak is located far from urban centres in the heart of dense equatorial forest, reducing the risk of contagion, its remoteness has made aid delivery a particular challenge.
Decades of neglect have devastated road and rail infrastructure, also hampering efforts to quarantine patients.
Kabange said aid groups had established "an air drop in order to deliver medical supplies."
Last week, the UN announced it had released USD 1.5 million (1.3 million euros) to help the government in Kinshasa combat the outbreak, with the prospect of doubling that sum.
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
[This report adds one additional case (suspected and confirmed) and one additional death to the most recent report from 3 Sep 2014. There has been no evidence of geographic spread of the outbreak beyond the single area of DRC.
A similar media report was submitted by ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/41304.]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Boende
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (10): (EQUATEUR) UPDATE, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
*************************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] ECDC update
[3] MSF treatment centers
******
[1] WHO update
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR) Disease Outbreak News (DONs) [edited]
http://www.who.int/csr/don/don_updates/en/
Ebola virus disease outbreak -- Democratic Republic of the Congo
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Epidemiological situation
-------------------------
Between 2 and 9 Sep 2014, there have been 31 more cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), increasing the cumulative number of cases to 62 (14 confirmed, 26 probable, and 22 probable) [sic. "22 suspect"?]. In total, 35 deaths have been reported (9 confirmed and 26 probable). No deaths have been reported among suspected cases. 9 health care workers have been diagnosed with EVD, including 7 deaths. All the cases have been localized in Jeera county. The affected villages are Watsi Kengo, Lokolia, Boende, and Boende Muke. Currently, 9 cases have been hospitalized: 4 in Lokolia; 2 in Watsikengo; 2 in Boende; and 1 in Boende Moke. A total of 386 contacts have been listed and 239 contacts have been followed-up. All cases and contacts are linked to the initial index case reported to the World Health Organization on 26 Aug 2014.
Response activities
----------------
During a regional meeting between the Ministry of Health of DRC and the Southern African Development Community on the management and prevention of EVD transmission, the following measures were recommended: standardization of the interventions for the prevention of EVD and enhancement of sanitary border control without impeding international traffic.
Under the leadership of the Government, the international community is providing strong logistical support and sending experts, equipment, food, and transportation means to the field.
A team of national and international specialists have been deployed to work with the local response teams. Patients are being treated in temporary isolation units in Watsi Kengo, Lokolia, Boende, and Boende Muke. A mobile laboratory from the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) has been installed in Lokolia and is currently functional. Two laboratory epidemiologists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have arrived in DRC to support the INRB field team.
Contact tracing activities are being carried out by an assigned team with supervision from of a medical epidemiologist and a community worker, and when required, psychologists visit and dialogue with communities. Ongoing sensitization activities to mobilize community leaders are being implemented.
Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on official information reported by the Ministry of Health. These numbers are subject to change due to ongoing reclassification, retrospective investigation, and availability of laboratory results.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied except in cases where individuals have been confirmed or are suspected of being infected with EVD or where individuals have had contact with cases of EVD. (Contacts do not include properly-protected health-care workers and laboratory staff.)
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Marianne Hopp and
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
******
[2] ECDC update
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) [edited]
http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/press/news/_la ... 68&ID=1061
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: A distinctly different event from the ongoing West Africa outbreak
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As of 4 Sep 2014, 72 cases including 48 deaths have been reported within an evolving outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), since the beginning of August 2014, states an ECDC rapid risk assessment issued today [9 Sep 2014].
The Ebola viral strain isolated from this outbreak is distinctly different from the strain isolated in the ongoing West Africa outbreak, and there is no epidemiological evidence linking the 2 events.
The epidemiological features of the DRC outbreak are consistent with previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in DRC, including in areas close to Equateur province.
The Equateur province is a remote area and not a tourist destination, hence it is unlikely that travellers from the EU will be exposed and become infected in the outbreak area. It is also unlikely that people residing in the outbreak area will travel to the EU while incubating the virus.
Intense media attention and professional communications to healthcare providers regarding the West African outbreak mean the EU public health community and health services are highly aware of and prepared for the possibility of patients presenting with Ebola virus disease in Europe.
ECDC is monitoring the development of this outbreak closely.
Related links:
- Ebola health topic page (http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/e ... index.aspx
- Rapid Risk Assessment on Outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Equateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 9 Sep 2014 (http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/P ... t-2014.pdf):
Outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Equateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo -- 9 Sep 2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Main conclusions
----------------
An outbreak of Ebola virus disease has been evolving in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the beginning of August 2014. As of 4 Sep 2014, 72 cases had been reported, including 48 deaths. The epidemiological features of this outbreak are consistent with previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus. The viral strain isolated from this outbreak is distinctly different from the strain isolated in the ongoing West Africa outbreak. There is no epidemiological evidence linking the 2 events.
As the incubation period can be up to 3 weeks, it is likely that additional cases will be identified in the affected zone during the coming weeks. However, control measures currently being implemented with the support of international partners are expected to prevent further spread of the disease. Given that the affected area is remote and not a tourist destination, it is unlikely that travellers from the EU will be exposed and become infected in the outbreak area. It is also unlikely that people residing in the outbreak area will travel to the EU while incubating the virus and develop the disease upon arrival. Risk mitigation measures for this outbreak are the same as for the ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
******
[3] MSF treatment centers
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres [edited]
http://www.msf.org/article/drc-msf-open ... and-boende
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has opened 2 treatment centers in response to the Ebola epidemic raging in Boende health zone, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The 1st is a 40-bed facility in Lokolia, the epicenter of the epidemic, and the 2nd is a 10-bed facility in Boende.
Logistical constraints and community education present the main challenges in the field. MSF now has nearly 40 staff members on site, divided between Boende and Lokolia, and has already sent 41 tons of supplies and equipment.
Community education
-------------------
Educating communities is critical to helping people understand how to prevent the disease and what to do in the event of a suspected case. "There are very few cases in Boende, so some people still think this is a fabrication and that Ebola does not exist," says Dr Papys Lame, a member of MSF's emergency pool in DRC. He arrived in the field when the warning was first sounded. "It's different in Lokolia. People have lost many friends and relatives. They know that the disease is there and they are more receptive to information. Some families have lost four or five people. One man lost his wife and then his sister-in-law. Next, one of his children became ill and died. The following day, another one of his children died."
MSF has opened a treatment center in Lokolia, where 6 patients are hospitalized; some are awaiting laboratory confirmation of a diagnosis. 2 patients are receiving treatment at the Boende facility. The education activities focus primarily on helping the community understand the importance of treatment.
Logistical challenges
---------------------
The 2 centers that have been established meet all standards intended to prevent transmission of the epidemic. "Setting up these centers was quite challenging, particularly in terms of transporting equipment and supplies," says Julien Binet, the project's logistics manager. "Once on site, you need time to plan everything out. After the center is operational, you can't make many changes, so preparation is critical."
Dr Lame emphasizes the challenges of working in the midst of an equatorial forest. "There are major logistical constraints," he says. "The road between Boende and Lokolia is pretty good. We transported several speedboats to use to cross the Lomela River. However, the road between Lokolia and Watsikengo is very bad. We managed to get the bridges repaired but the vehicles were still unable to cross. We had to be very creative. For now, we have 2 patients who are doing better. We think they have entered the convalescent phase. It's a glimmer of hope for the teams and the community."
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The WHO is reporting a total of 62 confirmed/probable/suspected EVD cases and 35 deaths as of 9 Sep 2014. This represents 3 more cases and 3 more deaths than our last update on 8 Sep 2014.
The ECDC summary presents slightly higher numbers in each category and the cause of the discrepancy is not clear. The ECDC summary notes distinct strain differences between the DRC Ebola strain and that from West Africa, but we have yet to see a published sequence from DRC, or details of the extent or nature of the differences. The source of this virological information is not clear to me and ProMED-mail would welcome authoritative information.
MSF has once again shown leadership in developing treatment centers and education activities in this remote region, despite major logistical challenges. - Mod.LM
Maps of the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be seen at http://www.nationsonline.org/maps/dr_congo_map_855.jpg and http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
*************************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] ECDC update
[3] MSF treatment centers
******
[1] WHO update
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR) Disease Outbreak News (DONs) [edited]
http://www.who.int/csr/don/don_updates/en/
Ebola virus disease outbreak -- Democratic Republic of the Congo
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Epidemiological situation
-------------------------
Between 2 and 9 Sep 2014, there have been 31 more cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), increasing the cumulative number of cases to 62 (14 confirmed, 26 probable, and 22 probable) [sic. "22 suspect"?]. In total, 35 deaths have been reported (9 confirmed and 26 probable). No deaths have been reported among suspected cases. 9 health care workers have been diagnosed with EVD, including 7 deaths. All the cases have been localized in Jeera county. The affected villages are Watsi Kengo, Lokolia, Boende, and Boende Muke. Currently, 9 cases have been hospitalized: 4 in Lokolia; 2 in Watsikengo; 2 in Boende; and 1 in Boende Moke. A total of 386 contacts have been listed and 239 contacts have been followed-up. All cases and contacts are linked to the initial index case reported to the World Health Organization on 26 Aug 2014.
Response activities
----------------
During a regional meeting between the Ministry of Health of DRC and the Southern African Development Community on the management and prevention of EVD transmission, the following measures were recommended: standardization of the interventions for the prevention of EVD and enhancement of sanitary border control without impeding international traffic.
Under the leadership of the Government, the international community is providing strong logistical support and sending experts, equipment, food, and transportation means to the field.
A team of national and international specialists have been deployed to work with the local response teams. Patients are being treated in temporary isolation units in Watsi Kengo, Lokolia, Boende, and Boende Muke. A mobile laboratory from the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) has been installed in Lokolia and is currently functional. Two laboratory epidemiologists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have arrived in DRC to support the INRB field team.
Contact tracing activities are being carried out by an assigned team with supervision from of a medical epidemiologist and a community worker, and when required, psychologists visit and dialogue with communities. Ongoing sensitization activities to mobilize community leaders are being implemented.
Data reported in the Disease Outbreak News are based on official information reported by the Ministry of Health. These numbers are subject to change due to ongoing reclassification, retrospective investigation, and availability of laboratory results.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied except in cases where individuals have been confirmed or are suspected of being infected with EVD or where individuals have had contact with cases of EVD. (Contacts do not include properly-protected health-care workers and laboratory staff.)
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Marianne Hopp and
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
******
[2] ECDC update
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) [edited]
http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/press/news/_la ... 68&ID=1061
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: A distinctly different event from the ongoing West Africa outbreak
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As of 4 Sep 2014, 72 cases including 48 deaths have been reported within an evolving outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), since the beginning of August 2014, states an ECDC rapid risk assessment issued today [9 Sep 2014].
The Ebola viral strain isolated from this outbreak is distinctly different from the strain isolated in the ongoing West Africa outbreak, and there is no epidemiological evidence linking the 2 events.
The epidemiological features of the DRC outbreak are consistent with previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in DRC, including in areas close to Equateur province.
The Equateur province is a remote area and not a tourist destination, hence it is unlikely that travellers from the EU will be exposed and become infected in the outbreak area. It is also unlikely that people residing in the outbreak area will travel to the EU while incubating the virus.
Intense media attention and professional communications to healthcare providers regarding the West African outbreak mean the EU public health community and health services are highly aware of and prepared for the possibility of patients presenting with Ebola virus disease in Europe.
ECDC is monitoring the development of this outbreak closely.
Related links:
- Ebola health topic page (http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/e ... index.aspx
- Rapid Risk Assessment on Outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Equateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 9 Sep 2014 (http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/P ... t-2014.pdf):
Outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Equateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo -- 9 Sep 2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Main conclusions
----------------
An outbreak of Ebola virus disease has been evolving in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the beginning of August 2014. As of 4 Sep 2014, 72 cases had been reported, including 48 deaths. The epidemiological features of this outbreak are consistent with previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus. The viral strain isolated from this outbreak is distinctly different from the strain isolated in the ongoing West Africa outbreak. There is no epidemiological evidence linking the 2 events.
As the incubation period can be up to 3 weeks, it is likely that additional cases will be identified in the affected zone during the coming weeks. However, control measures currently being implemented with the support of international partners are expected to prevent further spread of the disease. Given that the affected area is remote and not a tourist destination, it is unlikely that travellers from the EU will be exposed and become infected in the outbreak area. It is also unlikely that people residing in the outbreak area will travel to the EU while incubating the virus and develop the disease upon arrival. Risk mitigation measures for this outbreak are the same as for the ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
******
[3] MSF treatment centers
Date: Tue 9 Sep 2014
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres [edited]
http://www.msf.org/article/drc-msf-open ... and-boende
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has opened 2 treatment centers in response to the Ebola epidemic raging in Boende health zone, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The 1st is a 40-bed facility in Lokolia, the epicenter of the epidemic, and the 2nd is a 10-bed facility in Boende.
Logistical constraints and community education present the main challenges in the field. MSF now has nearly 40 staff members on site, divided between Boende and Lokolia, and has already sent 41 tons of supplies and equipment.
Community education
-------------------
Educating communities is critical to helping people understand how to prevent the disease and what to do in the event of a suspected case. "There are very few cases in Boende, so some people still think this is a fabrication and that Ebola does not exist," says Dr Papys Lame, a member of MSF's emergency pool in DRC. He arrived in the field when the warning was first sounded. "It's different in Lokolia. People have lost many friends and relatives. They know that the disease is there and they are more receptive to information. Some families have lost four or five people. One man lost his wife and then his sister-in-law. Next, one of his children became ill and died. The following day, another one of his children died."
MSF has opened a treatment center in Lokolia, where 6 patients are hospitalized; some are awaiting laboratory confirmation of a diagnosis. 2 patients are receiving treatment at the Boende facility. The education activities focus primarily on helping the community understand the importance of treatment.
Logistical challenges
---------------------
The 2 centers that have been established meet all standards intended to prevent transmission of the epidemic. "Setting up these centers was quite challenging, particularly in terms of transporting equipment and supplies," says Julien Binet, the project's logistics manager. "Once on site, you need time to plan everything out. After the center is operational, you can't make many changes, so preparation is critical."
Dr Lame emphasizes the challenges of working in the midst of an equatorial forest. "There are major logistical constraints," he says. "The road between Boende and Lokolia is pretty good. We transported several speedboats to use to cross the Lomela River. However, the road between Lokolia and Watsikengo is very bad. We managed to get the bridges repaired but the vehicles were still unable to cross. We had to be very creative. For now, we have 2 patients who are doing better. We think they have entered the convalescent phase. It's a glimmer of hope for the teams and the community."
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The WHO is reporting a total of 62 confirmed/probable/suspected EVD cases and 35 deaths as of 9 Sep 2014. This represents 3 more cases and 3 more deaths than our last update on 8 Sep 2014.
The ECDC summary presents slightly higher numbers in each category and the cause of the discrepancy is not clear. The ECDC summary notes distinct strain differences between the DRC Ebola strain and that from West Africa, but we have yet to see a published sequence from DRC, or details of the extent or nature of the differences. The source of this virological information is not clear to me and ProMED-mail would welcome authoritative information.
MSF has once again shown leadership in developing treatment centers and education activities in this remote region, despite major logistical challenges. - Mod.LM
Maps of the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be seen at http://www.nationsonline.org/maps/dr_congo_map_855.jpg and http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
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Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Boende
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (11): (EQUATEUR) ZAIRE STRAIN, GENOME SEQUENCE
***********************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 12 Sep 2014
From: Prof. Muyembe Tamfum
The Viral Hemorrhagic Fever laboratory team of Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), normally in charge of VHF diagnostics, was directly responding to the Ebola outbreak in Freetown, Sierra Leone and in Monrovia, Liberia. Therefore, the United States Agency for International Development PREDICT-INRB Laboratory in Kinshasa, DRC, was requested on August 22nd to test samples from Boende in DRC where the occurence of an unknown hemorrhagic fever epidemic was reported. PREDICT-INRB was the first laboratory to make that diagnosis and to confirm the occurence of the 7th Ebola outbreak in DRC. Sequencing was done by GATC Biotech in Germany.
Based on our available data for analyses, the two sequences (553 bp fragments of the L-gene) detected this August in DRC are clearly a strain of Ebola Zaire and do not cluster near the sequences from the current outbreak in West Africa, suggesting that this outbreak is independent from the outbreak in West Africa.
The two sequences (553 bp fragments of L-gene) can be accessed in Genbank http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov with the following accession numbers: KM517570, KM517571.
--
Prof. Muyembe Tamfum
Directeur General
Institut National de Recherche Bio-medicale
Av. de la Democratie, C/Gombe
BP 1197 Kinshasa I
Republique Democratique du Congo
For more information on the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats -- PREDICT project please see: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ohi/predict/
Communicated by:
Damien Joly
<djoly@metabiota.com>
[Our thanks to Prof Tamfum and his team for providing this sequence data and putting them in the public domain. The data appear to confirm that the outbreak in DRC is due to Zaire ebolavirus isolates that are genetically distinct from those appearing in West Africa.
The sequences of the L protein gene fragments can be accessed directly at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KM517570
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KM517571
The authors of the Genebank submissions, dated 12 Sep 2014, are:
Mbala,P., Ngay,I., Makuwa,M., Wolfe,N., Schneider,B., Mulembakani,P. and Muyembe,J.-J.
ProMED applauds the release of primary data (such as genome sequences) prior to their publication and believes that such practices are in the best interests of public health.
This is also a success story for the USAID-sponsored PREDICT project, as the virology lab personnel who would normally conduct Ebola diagnostics were all in West Africa, supporting outbreak response there, so the government requested PREDICT assistance and this early assistance may have helped reduce the impact of this tragic outbreak by allowing prompt control efforts.
A ProMED/HealthMap showing Congo DR can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194
- Mod.LM]
***********************************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 12 Sep 2014
From: Prof. Muyembe Tamfum
The Viral Hemorrhagic Fever laboratory team of Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), normally in charge of VHF diagnostics, was directly responding to the Ebola outbreak in Freetown, Sierra Leone and in Monrovia, Liberia. Therefore, the United States Agency for International Development PREDICT-INRB Laboratory in Kinshasa, DRC, was requested on August 22nd to test samples from Boende in DRC where the occurence of an unknown hemorrhagic fever epidemic was reported. PREDICT-INRB was the first laboratory to make that diagnosis and to confirm the occurence of the 7th Ebola outbreak in DRC. Sequencing was done by GATC Biotech in Germany.
Based on our available data for analyses, the two sequences (553 bp fragments of the L-gene) detected this August in DRC are clearly a strain of Ebola Zaire and do not cluster near the sequences from the current outbreak in West Africa, suggesting that this outbreak is independent from the outbreak in West Africa.
The two sequences (553 bp fragments of L-gene) can be accessed in Genbank http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov with the following accession numbers: KM517570, KM517571.
--
Prof. Muyembe Tamfum
Directeur General
Institut National de Recherche Bio-medicale
Av. de la Democratie, C/Gombe
BP 1197 Kinshasa I
Republique Democratique du Congo
For more information on the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats -- PREDICT project please see: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ohi/predict/
Communicated by:
Damien Joly
<djoly@metabiota.com>
[Our thanks to Prof Tamfum and his team for providing this sequence data and putting them in the public domain. The data appear to confirm that the outbreak in DRC is due to Zaire ebolavirus isolates that are genetically distinct from those appearing in West Africa.
The sequences of the L protein gene fragments can be accessed directly at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KM517570
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KM517571
The authors of the Genebank submissions, dated 12 Sep 2014, are:
Mbala,P., Ngay,I., Makuwa,M., Wolfe,N., Schneider,B., Mulembakani,P. and Muyembe,J.-J.
ProMED applauds the release of primary data (such as genome sequences) prior to their publication and believes that such practices are in the best interests of public health.
This is also a success story for the USAID-sponsored PREDICT project, as the virology lab personnel who would normally conduct Ebola diagnostics were all in West Africa, supporting outbreak response there, so the government requested PREDICT assistance and this early assistance may have helped reduce the impact of this tragic outbreak by allowing prompt control efforts.
A ProMED/HealthMap showing Congo DR can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194
- Mod.LM]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
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- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Equateur
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (12): (EQUATEUR) UN UPDATE
***************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 12 Sep 2014
Source: United Nations Secretariat, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Democratic Republic of Congo
http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic- ... ember-2014
UPDATE ON THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE IN DRC; No. 10
[12 Sep 2014] -12 pm
-----------------------------------------
[A table is available at the above URL entitled "Data update from 19 August to 8 September 2014". It notes 66 cases, an increase of 4. Among these, 24 are laboratory confirmed, 26 probable and 14 suspect. It notes 37 deaths, an increase of 2. See the above URL for complete details.]
Coordination/ Keys developments
*The number of suspected cases has fallen, as some have been laboratory confirmed.
**12 alerts including one with death in Kokolo military camp in Kinshasa, a 2nd reported in Kambove in Katanga and 10 cases of which 8 deaths reported in Bongandanga, Equateur Provincer. Five samples from Bongandanga and from Nyakunde in Ituri (Orientale Province) are being analyzed.
Between [2 and 10 Sep 2014], 35 cases of EVD have been reported in the area of Djera in Equateur Province in DRC, increasing the cumulative number of cases to 66 (see the above table for details).
Two additional treatment centers are operational since [9 Sep 2014] with the capacity of 50 beds
Some local/provincial committees of the CNC (Ebola response coordination) are not operating optimally like Kinshasa; some coordination tools for the smooth functioning of these structures at local / provincial level are still unavailable
Epidemic Control Commission (ECC) has submitted a health roadmap on the management and prevention of the Ebola Virus Disease to the DRC Minister of Health as per recommendations of the latest meeting of SADEC [Southern African Development Community] Ministers of Public Health held in Zimbabwe.
Two hotline numbers have been set up to allow the population to get information on the disease and ongoing efforts: 081 08 000 20 and 099 99 710 05. An additional hotline for information on the prevention of the EVD is available using Tigo: 119.
The contingency plan for Kinshasa has been finalized, but actions for its full activation are yet to be taken.
Security and Logistics
----------------------
The bad state of the road between Boende and Lokolia is one of the main logistic constraints, disrupting routing of heavy equipment and other medical inputs necessary for the fight against EVD. The government has instructed the Office de Route for a rapid rehabilitation of this road section.
INRB [Institut National de recherches biologiques] needs a regular fuel supply to deal with untimely power outages by the SNEL [Societe Nationale d'Electricite de la Republique Democratique du Congo] during laboratory tests
Flights schedule
----------
UNHAS [United Nations Humanitarian Air Service]
- Tuesday and Saturday: Kinshasa-Mbandaka-Boende-Kinshasa for passengers and limited cargo
ASF [Avions Sans Frontieres]
-France
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Mbandaka-Boende-Mbandaka for passengers and/or cargo
MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]
- Support with cargo flights and helicopters for passengers and cargo
OMS [WHO and] UNICEF:
Receive and process flight requests in line with field priorities
Ongoing activities
---------------------
Delivery of the 1st batch of 1000 NFI-WASH [Non-Food Items - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene] kits in Lokolia where access to water is still very limited
Construction of an EVD treatment center within Kinkole Hospital as a preventive measure recommended in the contingency plan for the city of Kinshasa
Investigation of the traceability of 2 positive cases registered in Boende to determine if they belong to the same pattern of contamination as the index EVD case in Lokolia
Continuing sensitization of community leaders, community radios, teachers, etc. on EVD and hygiene practices
Free medical treatment to all patient in the affected areas
Planned activities
--------------------
The 1st weekly press briefing will be held on [12 Sep 2014] at the "Centre Interdiocesain" of Kinshasa. It is organized by the Communication Commission with the support of C-Change.
Manual drilling in Lokolia : talks continue between the NGO CADECOD [Advocacy Centre for Disadvantaged] , UNICEF and WASH Commission to launch the drilling
Briefing of Kinshasa-based diplomatic corps on the measures taken by the Government for the management and prevention of the Ebola disease
Sensitizing police officers and other security agents to prevent harassment of travelers along the Congo River
Gaps
----------------
INRB's laboratory in Kinshasa is out of stock of reagents after supplying all its reagents stocks to the mobile laboratory in Lokolia
Human Resources: More medical staff needed in Mbandaka, Boende and Watsikengo
Poor road conditions between Boende and Lokolia is affecting the transport of medical equipment. Urgent rehabilitation of the road between Boende Lokolia, Mokoko and Watsikengo is needed
Diesel
Funding
-------
Needs : USD 8.6 million
DRC Government: USD 1 million
Common Humanitarian Fund: USD 2.7 million approved by the Humanitarian Coordinator
CERF [United Nations Emergency Response Fund]: USD 2.45 million (ongoing)
MONUSCO: Amount to be confirmed
MSF: Amount to be confirmed
Gap: USD 2.46 million
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
[The number of cases and even the dates covered by this report are not completely clear (the heading indicates that counts are through 8 Sep 2014, but the footnotes appear to indicate that counts are through 10 Sep 2014). Nonetheless, there appears to be an ongoing slight increase in cases and deaths. We await the next WHO for further data.
The logistical and financial obstacles to managing the Ebola virus disease outbreak in this remote region are daunting and the International agencies and NGO's working in the region deserve our praise and support.
The PDF linked to from this site also includes a map of the region and tables (in French) delineating responsibilities among various agencies. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
***************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 12 Sep 2014
Source: United Nations Secretariat, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Democratic Republic of Congo
http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic- ... ember-2014
UPDATE ON THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE IN DRC; No. 10
[12 Sep 2014] -12 pm
-----------------------------------------
[A table is available at the above URL entitled "Data update from 19 August to 8 September 2014". It notes 66 cases, an increase of 4. Among these, 24 are laboratory confirmed, 26 probable and 14 suspect. It notes 37 deaths, an increase of 2. See the above URL for complete details.]
Coordination/ Keys developments
*The number of suspected cases has fallen, as some have been laboratory confirmed.
**12 alerts including one with death in Kokolo military camp in Kinshasa, a 2nd reported in Kambove in Katanga and 10 cases of which 8 deaths reported in Bongandanga, Equateur Provincer. Five samples from Bongandanga and from Nyakunde in Ituri (Orientale Province) are being analyzed.
Between [2 and 10 Sep 2014], 35 cases of EVD have been reported in the area of Djera in Equateur Province in DRC, increasing the cumulative number of cases to 66 (see the above table for details).
Two additional treatment centers are operational since [9 Sep 2014] with the capacity of 50 beds
Some local/provincial committees of the CNC (Ebola response coordination) are not operating optimally like Kinshasa; some coordination tools for the smooth functioning of these structures at local / provincial level are still unavailable
Epidemic Control Commission (ECC) has submitted a health roadmap on the management and prevention of the Ebola Virus Disease to the DRC Minister of Health as per recommendations of the latest meeting of SADEC [Southern African Development Community] Ministers of Public Health held in Zimbabwe.
Two hotline numbers have been set up to allow the population to get information on the disease and ongoing efforts: 081 08 000 20 and 099 99 710 05. An additional hotline for information on the prevention of the EVD is available using Tigo: 119.
The contingency plan for Kinshasa has been finalized, but actions for its full activation are yet to be taken.
Security and Logistics
----------------------
The bad state of the road between Boende and Lokolia is one of the main logistic constraints, disrupting routing of heavy equipment and other medical inputs necessary for the fight against EVD. The government has instructed the Office de Route for a rapid rehabilitation of this road section.
INRB [Institut National de recherches biologiques] needs a regular fuel supply to deal with untimely power outages by the SNEL [Societe Nationale d'Electricite de la Republique Democratique du Congo] during laboratory tests
Flights schedule
----------
UNHAS [United Nations Humanitarian Air Service]
- Tuesday and Saturday: Kinshasa-Mbandaka-Boende-Kinshasa for passengers and limited cargo
ASF [Avions Sans Frontieres]
-France
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Mbandaka-Boende-Mbandaka for passengers and/or cargo
MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]
- Support with cargo flights and helicopters for passengers and cargo
OMS [WHO and] UNICEF:
Receive and process flight requests in line with field priorities
Ongoing activities
---------------------
Delivery of the 1st batch of 1000 NFI-WASH [Non-Food Items - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene] kits in Lokolia where access to water is still very limited
Construction of an EVD treatment center within Kinkole Hospital as a preventive measure recommended in the contingency plan for the city of Kinshasa
Investigation of the traceability of 2 positive cases registered in Boende to determine if they belong to the same pattern of contamination as the index EVD case in Lokolia
Continuing sensitization of community leaders, community radios, teachers, etc. on EVD and hygiene practices
Free medical treatment to all patient in the affected areas
Planned activities
--------------------
The 1st weekly press briefing will be held on [12 Sep 2014] at the "Centre Interdiocesain" of Kinshasa. It is organized by the Communication Commission with the support of C-Change.
Manual drilling in Lokolia : talks continue between the NGO CADECOD [Advocacy Centre for Disadvantaged] , UNICEF and WASH Commission to launch the drilling
Briefing of Kinshasa-based diplomatic corps on the measures taken by the Government for the management and prevention of the Ebola disease
Sensitizing police officers and other security agents to prevent harassment of travelers along the Congo River
Gaps
----------------
INRB's laboratory in Kinshasa is out of stock of reagents after supplying all its reagents stocks to the mobile laboratory in Lokolia
Human Resources: More medical staff needed in Mbandaka, Boende and Watsikengo
Poor road conditions between Boende and Lokolia is affecting the transport of medical equipment. Urgent rehabilitation of the road between Boende Lokolia, Mokoko and Watsikengo is needed
Diesel
Funding
-------
Needs : USD 8.6 million
DRC Government: USD 1 million
Common Humanitarian Fund: USD 2.7 million approved by the Humanitarian Coordinator
CERF [United Nations Emergency Response Fund]: USD 2.45 million (ongoing)
MONUSCO: Amount to be confirmed
MSF: Amount to be confirmed
Gap: USD 2.46 million
--
Communicated by:
Ryan McGinnis
<ryan@bigstormpicture.com>
[The number of cases and even the dates covered by this report are not completely clear (the heading indicates that counts are through 8 Sep 2014, but the footnotes appear to indicate that counts are through 10 Sep 2014). Nonetheless, there appears to be an ongoing slight increase in cases and deaths. We await the next WHO for further data.
The logistical and financial obstacles to managing the Ebola virus disease outbreak in this remote region are daunting and the International agencies and NGO's working in the region deserve our praise and support.
The PDF linked to from this site also includes a map of the region and tables (in French) delineating responsibilities among various agencies. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Equateur
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (13): (EQUATEUR) WHO UPDATE
****************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] UN-OCHA update
******
[1] WHO update
Date: 23 Sep 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR), Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, Ebola virus disease [edited]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/eb ... hs/drc/en/
Democratic Republic of Congo: "classic" Ebola in a country experiencing its 7th outbreak
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ebola at 6 months
-----------------
Immediately after the 1st case of Ebola virus disease in Guinea was announced, on [23 Mar 2014], WHO activated its network of specialized biosafety level 4 laboratories that are equipped and staffed to safely work with the world's most hazardous pathogens. The Ebola virus is among them. Those labs would play a key role in characterizing and differentiating the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC.
On [24 Aug 2014], WHO was notified of the country's 1st confirmed case and subsequent outbreak initially located in the extremely remote Jeera County in the country's Equateur Province. That county is located some 1200 kilometres [746 mi] from the capital city, Kinshasa. No paved roads connect the 2 areas. The outbreak is currently concentrated in the Boende district of the Province.
Traditional beginning
---------------------
The outbreak, which began in the traditional way, with handling of infected bushmeat, was initially small: 24 suspected cases, with 13 deaths, largely among health workers who attended the index case. This was a young pregnant woman, married to a hunter, who is thought to have fallen ill on [26 Jul 2014], when symptoms of fever, diarrhoea, and bleeding developed. She died of Ebola virus disease on [11 Aug 2014].
The announcement of those 1st cases immediately ignited worries that the virus might have spread from west to central Africa. WHO could put those worries to rest on [2 Sep 2014], when its collaborating laboratory in Gabon, the Centre International de Recherches Medicales, released full sequencing data.
This was indeed Ebola Zaire, as in West Africa, but as the lab report noted, "the virus from Boende district is definitely not derived from the variant currently circulating in West Africa." The DRC virus showed 99 percent homology with a virus from the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC.
DRC's 7th Ebola outbreak
------------------------
The current outbreak is the country's 7th since the Ebola Zaire virus emerged there in 1976, in an area bordered by the Ebola River. A nearly simultaneous outbreak that same year emerged in South Sudan (then Sudan), but involved a different Ebola virus species -- the Sudan species.
By [16 Sep 2014], the outbreak had grown to more than 70 cases, with 40 deaths. One of the biggest challenges in investigating and containing the outbreak is the remoteness of the affected area. One of the greatest assets is the high level of commitment and dedication shown by the government, from its President to its Minister of Health, Dr Felix Kabange Numbi.
At the start of the outbreak, the Minister of Health travelled the difficult route from Kinshasa to the remote Boende district to conduct a 1st-hand investigation in a situation where the only communication is by satellite phones, roads are rare, and transportation for case detection and contact tracing relies on canoes, motorcycles provided by WHO, bicycles, and some 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Rising to logistical challenges
-------------------------------
Investigation and response efforts need to be understood in the context of some difficult challenges that go beyond the area's remote location. Cases are occurring in densely forested communities that are home to around 54 000 people. The weather is extremely hot and humid, punctuated by frequent rains. Reaching safe water supplies requires a 12-kilometre [7.5 mi] journey through forests with no roads. "Lodging facilities" for technical staff means camping on the ground.
For the initial investigation and containments efforts, the Ministry of Health was supported by a WHO team that included the head of WHO's DRC office, Dr Joseph Cabore, and Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, an experienced outbreak responder who helped DRC contain its 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit. Apart from these staff, the response team included 10 epidemiologists, 2 logisticians, several clinicians from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and -- especially important -- 4 psychologists.
A dedicated helicopter was provided by the United Nations, but the densely forested area first had to be cleared to create landing space. The World Food Programme is on the ground, rapidly improving the water and food situation. WHO deployed an IT specialist; communications have improved. Even a WHO videographer, in the area to record images, ended up helping in the construction of the area's 1st 12-bed treatment facility. A fully functional mobile laboratory has been installed.
The number of cases and deaths is growing at a rate similar to that seen during other recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in this country. No predictions about its evolution or eventual control can be made at this point.
--
Communicated by:
Claudinne Roe
<claudinne.r.roe@ugov.gov>
******
[2] UN-OCHA update
Date: Sun 21 Sep 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), ReliefWeb [edited]
http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic- ... -2014-enfr
Update on Ebola virus disease in DRC, no 12, 21 Sep 2014
--------------------------------------------------------
[Several tables and maps accompany this report and are available through the source URL above. A total of 68 cases are reported as of 21 Sep 2014 at 6 PM. - Mod.LM]
Coordination/key developments
-----------------------------
- *4 suspected cases were negative after laboratory tests on 2 different samples and therefore discharged and declared "non-case", bringing down to 68 the total number of cases on [18 Sep 2014] (see table [at source URL] for details) of which 41 deaths; an overall lethality rate of slightly over 60 percent.
- **8 health personnel have died of Ebola virus disease (EVD) since the outbreak of the epidemic.
- The centrifuge of the mobile laboratory in Lokolia has broken down, making it impossible to carry out on-site laboratory tests in Lokolia. A centrifuge parts is expected from the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa.
- INRB is facing the shortage of reagents and inputs for both its laboratory in Kinshasa and the mobile laboratory in Lokolia. A request for reagents and laboratory inputs has been made to the DRC Ministry of Health for an urgent solution.
- The death rate of animals and poultry continues to be very high in the area affected by the EVD, requiring thorough veterinary investigations.
- According to the National Coordination Committee (NCC), the overall analysis of the epidemiological situation suggests that Ebola outbreak declared on [24 Aug 2014] in the area of Djera is under control.
- The Food Security Cluster and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity will distribute over 1000 tons of food, including 4.9 tons to members of the response team, the indoor patients, and to the family members of people affected by the EVD. This distribution is facing important logistical constraints related to poor road conditions in the area of Djera.
- 2 hotline numbers have been set up to allow the population to get information on the disease and ongoing efforts: 081 08 000 20 and 099 99 710 05. An additional hotline for information on the prevention of the EVD is available using Tigo: 119.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[These reports appear to represent stabilization of the situation in the remote Boende district of DRC, with approximately 70 confirmed cases, though clearly not a full incubation period has passed since the most recent cases.
The reports also demonstrate the high degree of logistical difficulties in managing outbreaks in areas where infrastructure is lacking.
While indications that this outbreak is behaving in ways similar to prior Ebola virus disease outbreaks in DRC, the WHO report concludes, wisely, that "no predictions about its evolution or eventual control can be made at this point."
Maps are available through the source URL in [2] above and at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/41304. - Mod.LM]
****************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] UN-OCHA update
******
[1] WHO update
Date: 23 Sep 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR), Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, Ebola virus disease [edited]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/eb ... hs/drc/en/
Democratic Republic of Congo: "classic" Ebola in a country experiencing its 7th outbreak
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ebola at 6 months
-----------------
Immediately after the 1st case of Ebola virus disease in Guinea was announced, on [23 Mar 2014], WHO activated its network of specialized biosafety level 4 laboratories that are equipped and staffed to safely work with the world's most hazardous pathogens. The Ebola virus is among them. Those labs would play a key role in characterizing and differentiating the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC.
On [24 Aug 2014], WHO was notified of the country's 1st confirmed case and subsequent outbreak initially located in the extremely remote Jeera County in the country's Equateur Province. That county is located some 1200 kilometres [746 mi] from the capital city, Kinshasa. No paved roads connect the 2 areas. The outbreak is currently concentrated in the Boende district of the Province.
Traditional beginning
---------------------
The outbreak, which began in the traditional way, with handling of infected bushmeat, was initially small: 24 suspected cases, with 13 deaths, largely among health workers who attended the index case. This was a young pregnant woman, married to a hunter, who is thought to have fallen ill on [26 Jul 2014], when symptoms of fever, diarrhoea, and bleeding developed. She died of Ebola virus disease on [11 Aug 2014].
The announcement of those 1st cases immediately ignited worries that the virus might have spread from west to central Africa. WHO could put those worries to rest on [2 Sep 2014], when its collaborating laboratory in Gabon, the Centre International de Recherches Medicales, released full sequencing data.
This was indeed Ebola Zaire, as in West Africa, but as the lab report noted, "the virus from Boende district is definitely not derived from the variant currently circulating in West Africa." The DRC virus showed 99 percent homology with a virus from the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, DRC.
DRC's 7th Ebola outbreak
------------------------
The current outbreak is the country's 7th since the Ebola Zaire virus emerged there in 1976, in an area bordered by the Ebola River. A nearly simultaneous outbreak that same year emerged in South Sudan (then Sudan), but involved a different Ebola virus species -- the Sudan species.
By [16 Sep 2014], the outbreak had grown to more than 70 cases, with 40 deaths. One of the biggest challenges in investigating and containing the outbreak is the remoteness of the affected area. One of the greatest assets is the high level of commitment and dedication shown by the government, from its President to its Minister of Health, Dr Felix Kabange Numbi.
At the start of the outbreak, the Minister of Health travelled the difficult route from Kinshasa to the remote Boende district to conduct a 1st-hand investigation in a situation where the only communication is by satellite phones, roads are rare, and transportation for case detection and contact tracing relies on canoes, motorcycles provided by WHO, bicycles, and some 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Rising to logistical challenges
-------------------------------
Investigation and response efforts need to be understood in the context of some difficult challenges that go beyond the area's remote location. Cases are occurring in densely forested communities that are home to around 54 000 people. The weather is extremely hot and humid, punctuated by frequent rains. Reaching safe water supplies requires a 12-kilometre [7.5 mi] journey through forests with no roads. "Lodging facilities" for technical staff means camping on the ground.
For the initial investigation and containments efforts, the Ministry of Health was supported by a WHO team that included the head of WHO's DRC office, Dr Joseph Cabore, and Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, an experienced outbreak responder who helped DRC contain its 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit. Apart from these staff, the response team included 10 epidemiologists, 2 logisticians, several clinicians from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and -- especially important -- 4 psychologists.
A dedicated helicopter was provided by the United Nations, but the densely forested area first had to be cleared to create landing space. The World Food Programme is on the ground, rapidly improving the water and food situation. WHO deployed an IT specialist; communications have improved. Even a WHO videographer, in the area to record images, ended up helping in the construction of the area's 1st 12-bed treatment facility. A fully functional mobile laboratory has been installed.
The number of cases and deaths is growing at a rate similar to that seen during other recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in this country. No predictions about its evolution or eventual control can be made at this point.
--
Communicated by:
Claudinne Roe
<claudinne.r.roe@ugov.gov>
******
[2] UN-OCHA update
Date: Sun 21 Sep 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), ReliefWeb [edited]
http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic- ... -2014-enfr
Update on Ebola virus disease in DRC, no 12, 21 Sep 2014
--------------------------------------------------------
[Several tables and maps accompany this report and are available through the source URL above. A total of 68 cases are reported as of 21 Sep 2014 at 6 PM. - Mod.LM]
Coordination/key developments
-----------------------------
- *4 suspected cases were negative after laboratory tests on 2 different samples and therefore discharged and declared "non-case", bringing down to 68 the total number of cases on [18 Sep 2014] (see table [at source URL] for details) of which 41 deaths; an overall lethality rate of slightly over 60 percent.
- **8 health personnel have died of Ebola virus disease (EVD) since the outbreak of the epidemic.
- The centrifuge of the mobile laboratory in Lokolia has broken down, making it impossible to carry out on-site laboratory tests in Lokolia. A centrifuge parts is expected from the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa.
- INRB is facing the shortage of reagents and inputs for both its laboratory in Kinshasa and the mobile laboratory in Lokolia. A request for reagents and laboratory inputs has been made to the DRC Ministry of Health for an urgent solution.
- The death rate of animals and poultry continues to be very high in the area affected by the EVD, requiring thorough veterinary investigations.
- According to the National Coordination Committee (NCC), the overall analysis of the epidemiological situation suggests that Ebola outbreak declared on [24 Aug 2014] in the area of Djera is under control.
- The Food Security Cluster and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity will distribute over 1000 tons of food, including 4.9 tons to members of the response team, the indoor patients, and to the family members of people affected by the EVD. This distribution is facing important logistical constraints related to poor road conditions in the area of Djera.
- 2 hotline numbers have been set up to allow the population to get information on the disease and ongoing efforts: 081 08 000 20 and 099 99 710 05. An additional hotline for information on the prevention of the EVD is available using Tigo: 119.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[These reports appear to represent stabilization of the situation in the remote Boende district of DRC, with approximately 70 confirmed cases, though clearly not a full incubation period has passed since the most recent cases.
The reports also demonstrate the high degree of logistical difficulties in managing outbreaks in areas where infrastructure is lacking.
While indications that this outbreak is behaving in ways similar to prior Ebola virus disease outbreaks in DRC, the WHO report concludes, wisely, that "no predictions about its evolution or eventual control can be made at this point."
Maps are available through the source URL in [2] above and at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/41304. - Mod.LM]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35219
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- Kontaktdaten:
Ebola-Fieber in Kongo DRC - Equateur
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (14): (EQUATEUR) UPDATE
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] Ebola DRC update
[3] MSF activities
[4] Nuns and soldiers ex DRC quarantined in El Salvador
******
[1] WHO update
Date: Wed 1 Oct 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR), Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, Ebola virus disease situation reports: Ebola response roadmap [edited]
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/1066 ... 14_eng.pdf
Ebola response roadmap situation report, Annex 2: Ebola outbreak in DRC -- 1 Oct 2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As at [28 Sep 2014], there have been 70 cases (30 confirmed, 26 probable, 14 suspected) of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], including 8 among health-care workers (HCWs). In total, 42 deaths have been reported, including 8 among HCWs.
A total of 666 contacts have now completed 21-day follow-up. Of 279 contacts currently being monitored, 265 (95 percent) were seen on [28 Sep 2014], the last date for which data have been reported. This outbreak is unrelated to that affecting Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR
<promed-eafr@promedmail.org>
[Only 2 new cases and one death have been reported since the last WHO update (24 Sep 2014) and indications are that the interventions are taking root to curtail community and nosocomial transmission. The current efforts therefore need to be sustained to control the outbreak.
A map showing the provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo can be seen at http://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/afric ... of-Con.gif. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map is available at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/22231. - Mod.JFW]
******
[2] Ebola DRC update
Date: Wed 1 Oct 2014
Source: Yahoo News, AFP (Agence France-Presse) report [edited]
http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-ebola-ou ... 12101.html
DR Congo Ebola outbreak has killed 42 since August [2014]
---------------------------------------------------------
The Democratic Republic of Congo raised its death toll from the Ebola virus to 42 on Wednesday [1 Oct 2014] as it struggled to contain the 2nd outbreak of the disease in Africa this year.
The latest figures include 8 health workers, Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said in a message sent to AFP.
Some 70 cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed in a remote region near the town of Boende some 800 kilometres (500 miles) northwest of Kinshasa, with a mortality rate of around 60 percent.
According to the World Health Organization and the authorities in Kinshasa, the outbreak is not related to the worst ever epidemic of the virus which has killed more than 3000 people in west Africa this year [2014].
A month ago [around the beginning of September 2014], the government said 32 people had been killed in the outbreak, the 7th Ebola outbreak since the disease was 1st identified in the former Zaire in 1976.
The last case in DR Congo, which has an incubation period of 3 weeks, was confirmed on 24 Sep [2014], said the minister. Last month [September 2014], Congolese authorities had declared the outbreak was "on its way to being controlled".
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3] MSF activities
Date: Thu 2 Oct 2014
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) [edited]
http://www.msf.org/article/drc-msf-trea ... conditions
DRC: MSF treating Ebola in Equateur province despite difficult conditions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ebola outbreak that was declared in August [2014] in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not yet been contained. The Ebola response teams, including 50 members of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), are currently working in very difficult conditions because of the lack of roads in the area, the misinformation in the local communities about the disease, and the risk of not treating those who might have been in touch with the virus. Two treatment centres have been established, one in Lokolia (40 beds) and one in Boende (10 beds).
According to health authorities, there have been over 70 cases, of which 41 have died. Since the beginning of the intervention, 42 admissions have been registered in the Ebola treatment facilities. From 20 laboratory-confirmed cases, 12 people died and 7 patients were able to defeat the virus and return to their communities. One patient is still in care. "There is no cure for Ebola but if you provide good care to patients, the body has time to develop immunity and beat the virus," explains Carolina Nanclares, medical advisor in Lokolia.
The sooner the treatment is administered, the better the chances of healing. Therefore, it is extremely important for patients to go to treatment centres as soon as symptoms appear.
Raising awareness among the population remains one of the main challenges of this intervention. "There are a lot of misconceptions and superstitions around Ebola and what happens inside the treatment centres, and the precautions to be taken in an Ebola outbreak often clash with local practices. The population has a certain degree of resistance to the messages we are communicating. That is why all actors involved need to multiply their efforts in the sensitization of the population. Messages about preventive measures and the importance of a timely identification of cases need to be constantly passed on," says Nanclares, adding that increased health promotion activities are required to face this challenge.
Surveillance activities, such as looking for patients with signs of Ebola in the community in order to treat them as soon as possible, and contact tracing and follow-up, are fundamental to limit the spread of the outbreak. While MSF is not directly responsible for them, it is cooperating with the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization staff to ensure a more comprehensive surveillance system. However, logistical constraints are complicating the intervention. MSF is concerned by the current impossibility to accurately map the outbreak.
"A lot of efforts are currently being made, but the challenge remains to break the population's resistance to come to the treatment centres and to disclose their recent contact, and to be able to reach the dead among the community in time to ensure safe burials," Nanclares alerts.
"In the 1st phase of the intervention, activities were focused on setting up the treatment centres. In Lokolia, it was particularly challenging because there are no facilities and we had to start from scratch," explains Nanclares "We are carrying on other fundamental activities as well, such as health and hygiene promotion, transportation of patients towards our facilities, decontamination of houses and preparation of bodies for safe burials. We also offer psychosocial support for patients and their families," she comments.
Despite the hard conditions, MSF has so far mobilized more than 54 tons of material and deployed dozens of staff. "Access to the affected areas is very difficult," explains Julien Binet, logistical coordinator of the team. "We are in the middle of the equatorial forest where roads are few and in bad condition. Where a 4X4 cannot reach we send bikes or even pirogues, but there are some completely isolated villages. All this significantly limits our capacity to understand the real extent of the outbreak."
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
******
[4] Nuns and soldiers ex DRC quarantined in El Salvador
Date: Thu 2 Oct 2014
Source: The Tico Times, AFP (Agence France-Presse) report [edited]
http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/10/02/el- ... precaution
El Salvador quarantines 2 nuns as Ebola precaution
--------------------------------------------------
As a precaution against Ebola, El Salvador has quarantined 2 nuns who arrived in the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Health Minister Violeta Menjivar said Thursday [2 Oct 2014].
She said the nuns, who arrived on Monday [29 Sep 2014] at the international airport serving San Salvador, "are healthy but we've put them in quarantine, just as we have 2 Salvadoran soldiers."
The soldiers were put in isolation on their return in August [2014] from Liberia, one of the west African countries most affected by an Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 3300 people.
In the DRC, a separate outbreak of the disease has killed 42 people since August.
Menjivar said El Salvador was putting together a 125-member contingent of doctors and other health care professionals to help with international efforts in west Africa to contain the epidemic.
[Byline: Pascal Guyot]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[While it has been less than one full incubation period since the most recent case, the rate of new cases appears to have fallen substantially, suggesting, as the DRC health minister quoted above states "is on its way to being controlled".
It is not stated whether the nuns or soldiers returning to El Salvador had contact with Ebola patients or were even in the affected region of DRC. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] WHO update
[2] Ebola DRC update
[3] MSF activities
[4] Nuns and soldiers ex DRC quarantined in El Salvador
******
[1] WHO update
Date: Wed 1 Oct 2014
Source: WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR), Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases, Ebola virus disease situation reports: Ebola response roadmap [edited]
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/1066 ... 14_eng.pdf
Ebola response roadmap situation report, Annex 2: Ebola outbreak in DRC -- 1 Oct 2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As at [28 Sep 2014], there have been 70 cases (30 confirmed, 26 probable, 14 suspected) of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], including 8 among health-care workers (HCWs). In total, 42 deaths have been reported, including 8 among HCWs.
A total of 666 contacts have now completed 21-day follow-up. Of 279 contacts currently being monitored, 265 (95 percent) were seen on [28 Sep 2014], the last date for which data have been reported. This outbreak is unrelated to that affecting Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR
<promed-eafr@promedmail.org>
[Only 2 new cases and one death have been reported since the last WHO update (24 Sep 2014) and indications are that the interventions are taking root to curtail community and nosocomial transmission. The current efforts therefore need to be sustained to control the outbreak.
A map showing the provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo can be seen at http://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/afric ... of-Con.gif. A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map is available at http://healthmap.org/promed/p/22231. - Mod.JFW]
******
[2] Ebola DRC update
Date: Wed 1 Oct 2014
Source: Yahoo News, AFP (Agence France-Presse) report [edited]
http://news.yahoo.com/dr-congo-ebola-ou ... 12101.html
DR Congo Ebola outbreak has killed 42 since August [2014]
---------------------------------------------------------
The Democratic Republic of Congo raised its death toll from the Ebola virus to 42 on Wednesday [1 Oct 2014] as it struggled to contain the 2nd outbreak of the disease in Africa this year.
The latest figures include 8 health workers, Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said in a message sent to AFP.
Some 70 cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed in a remote region near the town of Boende some 800 kilometres (500 miles) northwest of Kinshasa, with a mortality rate of around 60 percent.
According to the World Health Organization and the authorities in Kinshasa, the outbreak is not related to the worst ever epidemic of the virus which has killed more than 3000 people in west Africa this year [2014].
A month ago [around the beginning of September 2014], the government said 32 people had been killed in the outbreak, the 7th Ebola outbreak since the disease was 1st identified in the former Zaire in 1976.
The last case in DR Congo, which has an incubation period of 3 weeks, was confirmed on 24 Sep [2014], said the minister. Last month [September 2014], Congolese authorities had declared the outbreak was "on its way to being controlled".
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3] MSF activities
Date: Thu 2 Oct 2014
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) [edited]
http://www.msf.org/article/drc-msf-trea ... conditions
DRC: MSF treating Ebola in Equateur province despite difficult conditions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ebola outbreak that was declared in August [2014] in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has not yet been contained. The Ebola response teams, including 50 members of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), are currently working in very difficult conditions because of the lack of roads in the area, the misinformation in the local communities about the disease, and the risk of not treating those who might have been in touch with the virus. Two treatment centres have been established, one in Lokolia (40 beds) and one in Boende (10 beds).
According to health authorities, there have been over 70 cases, of which 41 have died. Since the beginning of the intervention, 42 admissions have been registered in the Ebola treatment facilities. From 20 laboratory-confirmed cases, 12 people died and 7 patients were able to defeat the virus and return to their communities. One patient is still in care. "There is no cure for Ebola but if you provide good care to patients, the body has time to develop immunity and beat the virus," explains Carolina Nanclares, medical advisor in Lokolia.
The sooner the treatment is administered, the better the chances of healing. Therefore, it is extremely important for patients to go to treatment centres as soon as symptoms appear.
Raising awareness among the population remains one of the main challenges of this intervention. "There are a lot of misconceptions and superstitions around Ebola and what happens inside the treatment centres, and the precautions to be taken in an Ebola outbreak often clash with local practices. The population has a certain degree of resistance to the messages we are communicating. That is why all actors involved need to multiply their efforts in the sensitization of the population. Messages about preventive measures and the importance of a timely identification of cases need to be constantly passed on," says Nanclares, adding that increased health promotion activities are required to face this challenge.
Surveillance activities, such as looking for patients with signs of Ebola in the community in order to treat them as soon as possible, and contact tracing and follow-up, are fundamental to limit the spread of the outbreak. While MSF is not directly responsible for them, it is cooperating with the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization staff to ensure a more comprehensive surveillance system. However, logistical constraints are complicating the intervention. MSF is concerned by the current impossibility to accurately map the outbreak.
"A lot of efforts are currently being made, but the challenge remains to break the population's resistance to come to the treatment centres and to disclose their recent contact, and to be able to reach the dead among the community in time to ensure safe burials," Nanclares alerts.
"In the 1st phase of the intervention, activities were focused on setting up the treatment centres. In Lokolia, it was particularly challenging because there are no facilities and we had to start from scratch," explains Nanclares "We are carrying on other fundamental activities as well, such as health and hygiene promotion, transportation of patients towards our facilities, decontamination of houses and preparation of bodies for safe burials. We also offer psychosocial support for patients and their families," she comments.
Despite the hard conditions, MSF has so far mobilized more than 54 tons of material and deployed dozens of staff. "Access to the affected areas is very difficult," explains Julien Binet, logistical coordinator of the team. "We are in the middle of the equatorial forest where roads are few and in bad condition. Where a 4X4 cannot reach we send bikes or even pirogues, but there are some completely isolated villages. All this significantly limits our capacity to understand the real extent of the outbreak."
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka
******
[4] Nuns and soldiers ex DRC quarantined in El Salvador
Date: Thu 2 Oct 2014
Source: The Tico Times, AFP (Agence France-Presse) report [edited]
http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/10/02/el- ... precaution
El Salvador quarantines 2 nuns as Ebola precaution
--------------------------------------------------
As a precaution against Ebola, El Salvador has quarantined 2 nuns who arrived in the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Health Minister Violeta Menjivar said Thursday [2 Oct 2014].
She said the nuns, who arrived on Monday [29 Sep 2014] at the international airport serving San Salvador, "are healthy but we've put them in quarantine, just as we have 2 Salvadoran soldiers."
The soldiers were put in isolation on their return in August [2014] from Liberia, one of the west African countries most affected by an Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 3300 people.
In the DRC, a separate outbreak of the disease has killed 42 people since August.
Menjivar said El Salvador was putting together a 125-member contingent of doctors and other health care professionals to help with international efforts in west Africa to contain the epidemic.
[Byline: Pascal Guyot]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[While it has been less than one full incubation period since the most recent case, the rate of new cases appears to have fallen substantially, suggesting, as the DRC health minister quoted above states "is on its way to being controlled".
It is not stated whether the nuns or soldiers returning to El Salvador had contact with Ebola patients or were even in the affected region of DRC. - Mod.LM
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/194.]
