Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Congo, Republic of

Confirmed ebola cases reach 32

    ABIDJAN

    Confirmed cases of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Gabon and Republic of Congo have risen to 32, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. Twenty two cases were in Gabon and 12 in Congo.

    The agency added that the death toll was 23 including 17 in Gabon and six in Congo. Another seven suspected cases were under investigation in Gabon and two in Congo, while 191 people, believed to have come into contact with blood or other body fluids of those infected, were being monitored - 96 in Gabon and 95 in Congo.

    "We anticipate one or more cases may develop among these contacts. The international team is working closely with teams from Congo and Gabon's Ministries of Health to contain the outbreak", WHO - which is part of the team - said. To prevent the virus from spreading further, the team is also conducting community sensitisation activities.

    Ebola broke out in Gabon's Ogooue-Ivindo province late last year and was afterwards detected in neighbouring Congo. It is one of the deadliest viral diseases known to mankind and causes death in 50-90 percent of cases. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of infected persons or primates.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join