A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 15 people among 28 suspected cases, Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said Thursday, with a confirmed case of a 34-year-old pregnant woman in the southern Kasai province town of Boulapé. It is the 16th Ebola outbreak recorded in the central African country.
Kamba said the preliminary report shows 14 of the deaths occurred in Boulapé and one in Mweka, and that four health workers are among the suspected cases. “To date, the provisional report shows 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including 14 in Boulapé and 1 in Mweka, as well as four health care workers,” Kamba said.
The minister added that the fatality rate, currently estimated at 53.6%, illustrates the gravity of the situation. Suspected cases and deaths have presented symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and heavy bleeding, the health ministry reported. Research into other suspected cases continues.
The World Health Organization said it has sent its experts alongside Congo’s Rapid Response Team to Kasai province to strengthen disease surveillance, treatment, and infection prevention and control. The agency is delivering supplies including personal protective equipment, mobile laboratory equipment, and medical supplies.
“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa.
Congo has a stockpile of treatments and the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, WHO said.
Ebola virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is a rare but severe illness that is often fatal.