Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola Outbreak Situation Report #3
- Emergency Manager's Weekly Report
- Sep 24
- 3 min read
Highlights:
· The World Health Organization (WHO) as of September 21st reported the following:
o There are 57 cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
o The people infected range from infants to 65-year-olds. The most affected group (23%) is between 0-9 years old.
o The outbreak shows a decreasing trend of cases in the recent week, nevertheless the attention remains high, and response activities are ongoing in all affected health areas.
o A total of 39 people has died. The Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) is at 61.4%.
· Contact Tracing Update:
o As of September 21st, a total of 1,180 contacts have been identified and are being followed up:
ü 94 people completed 21 days of monitoring.
ü 26 cases admitted to the Ebola Treatment Centre since the onset of the outbreak, two (2) were successfully treated and discharged following recovery on September 16th.
o Eight contacts developed into suspected cases.
· The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health, through the National Public Health Institute and the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, continues to coordinate the overall response to the outbreak, with technical support from WHO and health partners.
· Surveillance and Laboratory Update:
o Surveillance activities continued to be scaled up in Bulape Health Zone and proximal areas.
o Two hotlines have been set up for reporting alerts and suspected cases. All alerts and reported cases are being investigated.
o 21 Community health workers have been trained to strengthen community-based surveillance of EVD.
o Mortality surveillance has been instituted in health facilities to rule out any potential Ebola death.
· Case Management Update:
o As of September 19th, 26 people (11 suspected and 15 confirmed) were hospitalized.
o Bed capacity at the Bulape Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) has been expanded from 18 to 34 beds. As of September 21st, the bed occupancy rate was 100.0%.
o 25 patients have received treatment with the monoclonal antibody (mAb114). Five of these patients died while one recovered.
o As of September 23rd, WHO has established a new 34-bed ETC.
· Vaccination Update:
o As of September 21st, 1,1740 people have been vaccinated with the Everbo vaccine.
o The balance stock of 2,410 doses out of the 4,150 doses already deployed to the affected area will be boosted with additional supplies in the coming days.
o A ring vaccination approach targeting contacts and potential-contacts, healthcare and frontline workers at high risk is being implemented.
o Regeneron on September 20th donated 500 doses of their EVD treatment.
· WHO has deployed 64 experts, of which 78% are nationals, including 21 from the Africa Volunteer Health Corps Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies:
o Of the total experts deployed, 51 are stationed in Bulape Health Zone, epicenter of the outbreak.
· WHO reported that as of September 20 an additional 2.5 tons of supplies (Personal Protective Equipment, medicines, infection control materials, lab kits, tents and other resources) has been delivered.
· The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 19 issued a Health Advisory:
o CDC is working with DRC's Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention to support the response to this outbreak.
o CDC deployed three experts from its Atlanta headquarters and two from the CDC DRC country office to provide technical expertise in surveillance, case investigation, and contact tracing.
· On September 18th, WHO launched an $21 million emergency appeal to strengthen measures to stop the virus from spreading.
· No international traffic-related measures are currently warranted. Health authorities are reinforcing surveillance at border crossings, including health screening, proactive risk communication with travelers at points of entry/points of crossing.
Sources:
· CDC Health Alert, Sept 18
· BEACON Twitter Page
· WHO African Region Twitter Page
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