By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

Guinea

In a follow-up on a report yesterday on a possible Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the west African nation of Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today that Guinea health officials declared an outbreak of Ebola in the rural community of Gouéké in N’Zerekore prefecture after three Ebola cases were confirmed by the national laboratory, marking the first time the disease has been reported in the country since an outbreak ended in 2016.

Initial investigations found that a nurse from the local health facility died on the 28 January 2021. Following her burial, six people who attended the funeral reported Ebola-like symptoms and two of them have died, while the other four have been hospitalized–so far a total of seven (7) cases (4 men and 3 women) with three (3) deaths (2 women and a man) reported.

“It’s a huge concern to see the resurgence of Ebola in Guinea, a country which has already suffered so much from the disease. However, banking on the expertise and experience built during the previous outbreak, health teams in Guinea are on the move to quickly trace the path of the virus and curb further infections,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “WHO is supporting the authorities to set up testing, contact-tracing and treatment structures and to bring the overall response to full speed.”

On Sunday, Feb. 14, the Minister of Health called for an emergency meeting and put in place a swift emergency response measures, in consultation with different stakeholders, including partners. The public health measures put in place include: activation of different intersectoral coordination and emergency response units; further investigation and contact tracing; isolation of suspected cases; and social mobilization and community engagement. The Government is working on to get EVD vaccines from different parties.

During the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, there were 28,000 cases, including 11,000 deaths.  The outbreak started in Guinea and then moved across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

In a follow-up on the EVD outbreak in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),  provincial health officials confirmed a fourth case of Ebola in the area in a week.

The province of North Kivu was hard hit in the 10th epidemic, which lasted almost two years before being declared over last June, afflicting more than 3,460 people and killing 2,280.

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