Ebola – Congo The Democratic Republic Of The
November 2, 2021 – Two new cases of the Ebola virus have been reported in the Beni health zone in the North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As of October 30, 2021, this totals eight current reported cases of Ebola virus with four of the cases children under the age of five years. There have also been six reported deaths.
Ebola is a contagious virus that is transmitted to humans between humans through contact with infected bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and death if untreated. It is likely that the individuals have come in contact with other infected individuals within the same region. Officials are conducting current investigations by performing follow-up screening among 551 individuals who are suspected to have been in contact with the reported cases.
A few of the follow-up cases have lost contact or have not been seen. Officials encourage the community to be vaccinated against the virus to reduce the transmission and infection rate. According to the source, vaccinations are being performed through a "ring" approach where contacts and contacts of contacts are being vaccinated against the virus.
Photo: Ebola virus – Electron micrograph.
Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses. Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. Some people begin to bleed both internally and externally.
The disease has a high risk of death, killing 25% to 90% of those infected, with an average of about 50%.
Several vaccines for Ebola exist.
The disease was first identified in 1976, in two simultaneous outbreaks: one in Nzara (a town in South Sudan) and the other in Yambuku (Democratic Republic of the Congo), a village relatively near the Ebola River from which the disease takes its name.
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