Prime Highlights
- WHO has begun a vaccination campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kasai Province to contain the Ebola outbreak.
- The ring vaccination strategy focuses on frontline workers and people in close contact with infected patients.
Key Facts
- By September 15, the outbreak had 81 confirmed cases and 28 deaths, including four health workers.
- WHO has deployed 48 specialists and approved up to 45,000 additional vaccine doses to support the response.
Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) has started a vaccination campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to fight a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province. The first 400 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine have been sent to Bulape to protect frontline health workers and people who had close contact with Ebola patients. More vaccine doses will arrive in the coming days.
The outbreak began with a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted to the hospital on August 20 and died five days later. Two health workers who treated her also died after getting infected. As of September 15, 81 cases and 28 deaths were confirmed, four of them health workers.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with blood, sweat, or other body fluids from an infected person. The symptoms emerge in 2 to 21 days, and they include fever, muscle pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and, in severe cases, bleeding and shock. In the absence of early treatment, the disease is fatal in as many as 90% of cases.
The WHO is adopting a ring vaccination approach whereby individuals who were in close contact with infected individuals are vaccinated. This assists in preventing further spreading of the virus. To date, 48 WHO specialists have been deployed to DRC to assist with patient care, disease monitoring and logistics.
The effort faces challenges such as armed conflict, remote locations, and the need for special cold storage to keep the vaccine effective. The WHO has also approved sending up to 45,000 additional doses.
Health officials and the WHO are working closely to isolate cases, trace contacts, and provide medical care. The WHO says the risk of the outbreak is high in DRC, moderate for the region, and low globally.
