End of Ebola outbreak in DR Congo!

The Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the end  of Ebola outbreak in their country on Monday. This virus infected 12 people within the eastern province of North Kivu and killed six of them. The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) said that this infection was treated using Merck’s Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients’ contacts, and contacts of contacts. The virus can be present in particular body fluids, including semen even if they no longer have symptoms of severe illness.

Health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani said during a statement on Monday that “I am pleased to solemnly declare the top of the 12th epidemic of Ebola virus disease in North Kivu Province and despite the safety context and therefore the COVID-19 pandemic, the rapidity and efficiency of the response put in situ by the govt and its partners made it possible to defeat this pandemic in but three months,”.

In reply Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa said that “Huge credit must tend to the local doctors and therefore the national authorities for his or her prompt response, tenacity, experience and diligence that brought this outbreak in check ,” “Although the outbreak has ended, we must stay alert for possible resurgence and at an equivalent time use the growing expertise on emergency response to deal with other health threats the country faces.”

Data source: WHO and News agencies