The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) health ministry has on Thursday declared the end of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak that has affected Beni Health Zone (HZ) in that country’s North Kivu Province.
The declaration was made in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations , 42 days after the second negative test of the last confirmed case. Between October 8 to December 16, a total of 11 cases (eight confirmed, three probable) including nine deaths and two survivors have been reported from Beni HZ.
Of the nine deaths, seven were in the community and two occurred at the Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC).
The overall case fatality ratio (CFR) is 82 percent (9/11) among total cases while 75 percent (6/8) among confirmed cases. According to the WHO, the outbreak was declared on October 8 when the initial case; a 3-year-old boy developed symptoms including physical weakness, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, breathing difficulty, dark stool and blood in their vomit and later died on October 6.
On October 7, samples were tested using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) laboratory in Beni.
The WHO said these were later sent to the Rodolphe Mérieux INRB Laboratory, Goma on October 8 and EVD was confirmed by RT-PCR on the same day. This event followed a cluster of three deaths (two children and their father) who were neighbours of the initial case.
These three patients died on September 14, 19 and 29 after developing symptoms consistent with Ebola. However, none were tested for the virus.
Full genome sequencing, performed by the INRB in Kinshasa city, from the initial confirmed case indicated that this outbreak was not the result of a new zoonosis from an animal reservoir, but was linked to a persistent Ebola virus infection, said WHO.
Source: Reuters
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