DRC declares new Ebola outbreak

AFTER a patient died of Ebola, health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have declared an outbreak of the deadly disease – the sixth since the last outbreak in 2018.

So far, just one case has been confirmed, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. The patient, a 31-yearold man from Mbandaka, a city in the north-western Equateur Province, began experiencing symptoms on April 5 and after more than a week of care at home, sought treatment at a local health facility.

On April 21, the patient was admitted to an Ebola treatment centre for intensive care but died later that day.

Having recognised the symptoms, health workers immediately submitted samples to test for Ebola virus disease. Investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing, the global health agency said.

“Time is not on our side,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.