The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has announced an end to its latest Ebola virus outbreak.
The outbreak, which was the 15th recorded in the Country, emerged when one case was confirmed in the Eastern city of Beni, in North Kivu province, on August 22.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a statement on Tuesday said; ‘’Only only one case of the virus was confirmed in Beni, making the DRC’s 15th Ebola outbreak its least catastrophic”
According to the WHO protocol, it takes 42 days without new infection for an Ebola epidemic to be considered over.
The DRC Minister for Public Health, Mbungani Mbanda in a statement said; “After 42 days of reinforced surveillance without a new confirmed case … I am happy to solemnly declare the end of the 15th epidemic … that lasted one month and 12 days.’’
“The resurgence of Ebola occurred in the health zone of Beni which has been under siege since May 2021. It is in this context that the response was organised. Thanks to the achievements of previous epidemics, the expertise of local teams and their professionalism have made it possible to contain this disease within the limits of the health area in the Beni zone,” he added.
Meanwhile, since the outbreak, the DRC Ministry of Health and the WHO have put in place a rapid response protocol including screening, contact tracing, infection control, vaccination and widespread community awareness.