By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

On Monday, we did a short blurb on the latest on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

outbreak
Image/CDC

Now we have some additional details from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the latest developments in the outbreak.

The latest known confirmed case was reported on the 30 October 2021. As of 6 November 2021, a total of 11 EVD cases including eight confirmed cases (with four community deaths) and three probable cases have been reported in Beni Health Zone.

The overall case fatality rate (CFR) is 81.8% (9/11) and 75.0% (6/8) among confirmed cases.

To date, three (17.0%) out of the 18 health areas in Beni HZ have reported confirmed cases, namely, Butsili HA (6 cases), Bundji (one case) and Ngilinga HA (one case). Children under the age of five years account for 50.0% (4/8) of the cases.

In Beni HZ 510 contacts are listed and 443 (86.9%) are under active follow-up in 11 HAs. Of the total contacts, 44 (8.6%) had never been seen and nine contact are lost to follow-up.

A total of 485 persons have been vaccinated against EVD from the inception of the vaccination activities. These include 97 high risk contacts, 256 contacts of contacts and 132 probable contacts. Seventy frontline health care workers were vaccinated including 10 high risk contacts, nine contacts of contacts and 51 probable contacts.

The EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues in the three affected health areas in Beni with no spread to further areas in the past week. However, the high number of contacts lost to follow-up remains a concern as this poses risk of silent transmission and increased spread of the virus in the
community. The response efforts against EVD in Beni is currently being affected by inadequate resources, health care workers strike, lack of functional standardized isolation Centres in some areas, and low water supply at the points of entry.