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Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo
- IAS NEXT, Lucknow
- 19, Oct 2021
Ebola resurfaces in Democratic Republic of Congo 4 months after outbreak contained.
Background:
The Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016 killed 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
- In May 2021, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially declared the end of the 12th Ebola outbreak.
About Ebola:
Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
Transmission: The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.
Prevention: Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service and social mobilisation.
Treatment: Early supportive care with rehydration, symptomatic treatment improves survival. There is yet no licensed treatment proven to neutralise the virus but a range of blood, immunological and drug therapies are under development.
