There is a risk that it may spread to other countries, as a case has been found in a highly populated area.
The WHO (World Heath Organisation) have confirmed that a new case of the Ebola virus disease has been found in Mbandaka, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The news has caused WHO to raise their assessment of Congo’s public health risk from “high” to “very high”, at a national level.
Mbandaka, has a population of nearly 1.2 million people, so this case is potentially more dangerous than others, but Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General has said that they are more prepared now than ever to try and counteract the disease.
“This is a concerning development,” Ghebreyesus said. “But we now have better tools than ever before to combat Ebola. WHO and our partners are taking decisive action to stop further spread of the virus.”
Until now, all confirmed Ebola cases were reported from the Bikoro health zone, which is extremely difficult to reach, especially during rainy season, as the roads are often impassable.
Over 11,000 people have died of Ebola since the outbreak in 2014, none of whom have been from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa has voiced his concerns regarding the recent outbreak, but was adamant that WHO are doing all they can.
“The arrival of Ebola in an urban area is very concerning,” he said. “WHO and partners are working together to rapidly scale up the search for all contacts of the confirmed case in the Mbandaka area.”
The news was confirmed in an official statement made by The World Health Organisation, which can you read in full here.
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