The Ministry of Health has published Ebola DRC - Evolution of the response to the Ebola epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri on Friday February 22 2019. It has bad news: a new case in Beni, evidently the result of a sexual transmission from a recovered patient. Excerpt from the Google translation:
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI
Friday 22 February 2019
The epidemiological situation of the Ebola Virus Disease dated 21 February 2019:
• Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 859, of which 794 are confirmed and 65 are probable. In total, there were 536 deaths (471 confirmed and 65 probable).
• 179 suspected cases under investigation;
• 6 new confirmed cases, 2 in Katwa, 2 in Butembo, 1 in Kalunguta and 1 in Beni;
• 5 new confirmed case deaths:
º 3 community deaths, 2 in Katwa and 1 in Butembo;
º 2 deaths in CTEs, including 1 in Katwa and 1 in Butembo
/! \ Cleaning databases in progress: Revision of the database of people cured. We will start sharing the number of cures as soon as the revision is complete.
News of the response
New confirmed case of Ebola in Beni
• A new confirmed case of Ebola was notified to Beni after 23 days without a case. It appears that the patient was contaminated after being exposed to bodily fluids from a recovered Ebola case. A thorough investigation and sequencing of the virus is underway to determine the epidemiological link.
Relocation of strategic coordination in Goma
• The Ebola strategic coordination move from Beni to Goma began this Friday, February 22, 2019. The strategic coordination is the team that coordinates the conduct of the response in its entirety and oversees all operational sub-coordination in the different affected health zones.
• The Minister of Health, Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga, made the decision to relocate the strategic coordination in Goma at the end of November 2018 to clearly dissociate the strategic activities of planning and supervision of operational activities on the ground. In addition, by moving strategic coordination to Goma, all MoH partners will be able to more easily obtain the necessary security clearances from their respective organizations to work with the EVD response teams.
• This move will not disrupt the day-to-day activities of the field response. Beni's sub-coordination leading all activities in the field remains in place until the complete end of the epidemic throughout the region, like the other sub-coordinations, notably those of Butembo, Katwa, Bunia, Lubero etc.
• It is important to note that this move to Goma in no way means that the Ebola outbreak has reached the city, although it remains exposed. On the contrary, the experience of the last six months has demonstrated the importance of placing strategic coordination in an area not affected by the epidemic to allow it to focus exclusively on the supervision, monitoring and planning of the epidemic. the whole response.
Vaccination
• Since the start of vaccination on 8 August 2018, 82,583 people have been vaccinated , including 21,184 in Katwa, 20,563 in Beni, 10,010 in Butembo, 6,109 in Mabalako, 2,746 in Kalunguta, 2,501 in Goma, 2,280 in Komanda, 2,084 in Oicha, 1,813 to Mandima, 1,325 to Kyondo, 1,307 to Karisimbi, 1,283 to Kayina, 1,094 to Bunia, 1,064 to Vuhovi, 920 to Masereka, 772 to Mutwanga, 767 to Biena, 700 to Lubero, 590 to Rutshuru, 583 to Musienene, 527 in Nyankunde, 496 in Mangurujipa, 418 in Rwampara (Ituri), 355 in Tchomia, 280 in Mambasa, 254 in Alimbongo, 207 in Kirotshe, 200 in Lolwa, 141 in Nyiragongo, 97 in Watsa (Haut-Uélé) and 13 in Kisangani.
• The only vaccine to be used in this outbreak is the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine, manufactured by the pharmaceutical group Merck, following approval by the Ethics Committee in its decision of 19 May 2018.
