NewsDesk @bactiman63

The ongoing Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread out to a new Health Zone with a new confirmed case reported on May 19 in Mama Balako Health Area, Wangata Health Zone in Mbandaka City, Equateur Province.

Two Health Zones (Mbandaka and Wangata) and three Health areas are now affected (Libiki, Motema Pembe for Mbandaka Health Zone and Mama Balako for Wangata health Zone).

As of 22 May 2022, a total of five cases including four confirmed cases and one probable case with five deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR)= 100 %) are reported.

However, it’s not just Ebola the country is battling:

Cholera:

Image/geralt

In 2022 through May 1, 5,485 suspected cholera cases including 79 deaths (CFR: 1.4%) were recorded in 54 health zones across 11 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Measles:

From 1 January to 1 May 2022, 47,514 suspected measles cases and 684 deaths (CFR 1.4%) were reported in 349 health zones in 26 provinces.

Monkeypox:

In the first four months of 2022, DRC has reported 1,238 monkeypox cases, including 57 deaths (CFR 4.6%).

Plague:

Through May 1, DRC has seen 88 cases of plague, including 2 deaths (2.0% CFR). Lokpa remains the epicentre reporting 95% of cases reported this year.

Typhoid fever:

In 2022, through May 1, 634,401 suspected cases of typhoid fever including 279 deaths were recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In addition, outbreaks of yellow fever, meningitis and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) are reported and being monitored.