5 Ebola Cases, 3 Deaths Confirmed In New DR Congo Outbreak: WHO

Five cases and three deaths have now been confirmed in the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization said on Monday.

Infection prevention and control teams are making intense efforts to limit the spread of the deadly virus in the northeastern North Kivu province, the WHO office in DR Congo said on Twitter.

They are disinfecting health facilities, houses, public places, and other spots where confirmed or suspected patients might have been present, it added.

According to the WHO Regional Office for Africa, 369 contacts of the confirmed Ebola patients have been identified and 308 are being monitored.

The latest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo was confirmed on Oct. 8, two days after a child died in North Kivu's Butsili area.

Local authorities, backed by the WHO, launched a vaccination campaign in the region last week, but officials acknowledged that the number of contacts and infections are likely to keep growing.

Earlier this year, a three-month outbreak in and around the city of Butembo in North Kivu ended in May after 11 cases and six deaths.

DR Congo's 10th Ebola outbreak, which started in North Kivu in August 2018 and lasted for nearly two years, was the second largest in the world, with 3,481 cases, 2,299 deaths and 1,162 survivors, according to WHO data.​​​​​​​ -