H5N1

DRC Measles: More than 2,700 deaths in eight months, MSF warns crisis could worsen

Via Actualite.cd: DRC-Measles: More than 2,700 deaths in eight months, MSF warns crisis could worsen. The Google translation:

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warns about the measles epidemic that continues to wreak havoc in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 2,758 people have died from the 145,000 infected since January 2019, in 13 provinces of the country, including Mai-Ndombe. Despite the scale of the epidemic, the organization reveals an "alarming lack of actors and funds" to deal with this deadly epidemic.

MSF regrets that only $2.5 million could be mobilized out of the $8.9 million required for the response plan. Because, says the organization, several organizations seem rather attracted by the Ebola epidemic which continues, too, to kill in the east of the country. 

"Just getting vaccines to the point where children need to be vaccinated is a huge task, we need to keep the vaccines cool, which involves putting the cold chain in place. refrigerators, generators, fuel and rapid transport, and therefore also a maintenance system. Several health areas do not receive support from other organizations, despite obvious needs," explains Pierre Van Heddegem, coordinator field of MSF emergency measles team. 

Declared officially in the DRC last June, the current measles epidemic is, according to MSF, the deadliest that the country has known since 2011. Measles is a contagious disease for which no specific treatment exists. The only way to fight this disease is vaccination and symptomatic treatment. In this context, MSF says it has vaccinated 474,863 children aged 6 to 59 months and cared for 27,439 patients. 

But given the evolution of the situation on the ground, the organization fears that it will worsen a few weeks back to school. "The epidemic shows no signs of slowing down, in fact, since July the situation has worsened, with a rise in new cases noted in several provinces.If we want to control this epidemic, it is imperative to strengthen the response now," pleads Karel Janssens, MSF head of mission in the DRC. 

DRC Ebola: August 16 update, with details on the South Kivu cases

The Technical Secretariat has emailed its August 16 update. Excerpt from the Google translation and then some comments:

MULTISECTORAL NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RESPONSE TO EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE

TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT

SUBJECT: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION IN THE PROVINCES OF NORTH KIVU AND ITURI AT AUGUST 15, 2019.

Date: Friday, August 16, 2019

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 2,861, of which 2,767 confirmed and 94 probable. In total, there were 1,921 deaths (1,827 confirmed and 94 probable) and 849 people cured.

• 360 suspected cases under investigation;

• 9 new confirmed cases, including 5 in North Kivu, including 3 in Beni, 1 in Kalunguta and 1 in Musienene, 2 in Ituri in Mambasa and 2 in South Kivu in Mwenga;

• 8 new confirmed deaths, including 5 in North Kivu, 1 in Ituri and 1 in South Kivu:

º 5 community deaths, including 3 in North Kivu, including 2 in Beni and 1 in Kalunguta, 1 in Ituri in Mambasa and 1 in South Kivu in Mwenga;

º 3 deaths in CTEs, including 2 in North Kivu in Beni and 1 in Ituri in Komanda. 

• 1 person cured out of CTE in North Kivu in Butembo;

• No health worker is among the new confirmed cases. The cumulative number of confirmed/probable cases among health workers is 153 (5% of all confirmed/probable cases), including 41 deaths.

/!\ The data presented in this table are subject to change after extensive investigation and after redistribution of cases and deaths in their respective health areas.

News

New health zone affected by EVD in South Kivu

• A new health zone has been affected by Ebola Virus Disease in South Kivu Province;

• This is a 24 year old woman and her 7 month old son. On the mother's side, symptoms of EVD began to appear on August 4, 2019 in Beni, but she died on August 14 in Mwenga after consulting two health facilities, namely the Kangolo and Kilingutu Health Center;

• The sample taken from the deceased was tested positive on August 15, 2019 and her son was confirmed positive case MVE August 15, 2019. He is placed in isolation and will be put on treatment;

• According to initial investigations, the woman from Bukavu was living with a host family at the Mabolio Health Area in the Beni Health Zone in North Kivu Province. She was listed as a high-risk contact around a member of this family, confirmed MVE on July 25, 2019;

• On the twelfth day of her follow-up, on 06 August 2019, there was an alert about her move to Bukavu by the teams of the response and she was found accompanied by her two children (5 years and 7 months) at the Point of entry (PoE) from Kasindi, bordering Uganda;

• During her return to Beni, she escaped the response teams and continued her way from Kasindi to Beni, Butembo, Goma, Bukavu to Mwenga.

• During her journey, she escaped the vigilance of the various entry points and control points following a change of identity 4 times;

• Some actions have already been implemented around these two cases, including the dignified and safe burial (EDS) of the 24-year-old female body, the deployment of a multidisciplinary team of rapid intervention and the isolation of the baby, who has already started to be cared for. A recovered EVD patient is also part of the team deployed to care for the infant;

• The team's mission is to support the Mwenga health zone, the DPS and the South Kivu Province for one week in order to quickly circumscribe the home;

• A total of 120 contacts have already been listed around these two cases.

I'm greatly encouraged by the reliance of the response on Ebola survivors to care for current patients and children.

This is a good time to mention how to get Secretariat updates directly: Write to bulletinquotidien.ebola10@gmail.com and ask to be put on the mailing list. You can expect to get a Word document in French (easily converted to English with Google Translate), several graphs, and the daily table. 

If you don't to get any more email than you already have, just follow the new Twitter account of the Comité Multisectoriel de la Riposte à la Maladie à Virus Ebola. They've just started up, and I have the pleasure of being their #3 follower. They're tweeting links to their updates  and other news as well.

Number of children orphaned or left unaccompanied by Ebola in the DR Congo rising fast

A UNICEF news release: Number of children orphaned or left unaccompanied by Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rising fast.

KINSHASA/DAKAR/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 13 August 2019 – The number of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who have been orphaned or left unaccompanied due to the Ebola epidemic has more than doubled since April, requiring a rapid ramp-up of specialized care in the Ebola-hit provinces of Ituri and North Kivu.  

UNICEF and partners have registered 1,380 orphans, meaning children who have lost one or both parents to Ebola, since the start of the outbreak just over a year ago.   

In this same period, 2,469 children have been separated from their parents or caregivers — either left alone while adults undergo screening and treatment, or isolated because they’ve been in contact with someone infected.  

“This disease has been especially harrowing for children,” says Pierre Ferry, UNICEF’s head of child protection programmes in the DRC. "Children are watching parents die in front of them or seeing loved ones taken to Ebola treatment centers, uncertain of when or if they will return. They are struggling with grief and anxiety, while having to comfort and care for younger siblings. Many face discrimination, stigmatization and isolation."  

UNICEF is working closely with partners and communities to rapidly identify affected children and tailor support to address their extensive physical, psychological and social needs.  

To date, UNICEF has trained 906 psychosocial assistants and psychologists who provide a range of individualized assistance for orphaned and separated children.   

"Coming from the affected communities, psychosocial workers are among the most trusted actors in the response,” says Ferry. “As a result, they've been able to reduce harmful discrimination and misinformation and boost community acceptance and engagement, which is crucial to stopping the outbreak." 

For unaccompanied children, psychosocial teams provide dedicated care that includes food, psychological support and material assistance.  UNICEF runs three nurseries next to Ebola treatment centers in the epidemic's hotspots, where Ebola survivors, who are immune to the disease, care for and closely monitor infants and very young children until their parents or caregivers have completed treatment. 

For children with no surviving parents, the needs are longer-term. Psychosocial assistants work to place children with nurturing relatives or foster families — no easy task given the economic burden of raising extra children and the pervasive fear of catching the disease or being associated with it. It often requires delicate mediation as well as financial support for food, school fees and other basic necessities. The nature of the support is determined by the most pressing needs of each child or family.  

All the children require psychosocial assistance to mitigate the debilitating effects of loss, stigma and isolation, which is why UNICEF is working to quickly scale up child protection programs in Ebola-affected areas.  

“The number of children orphaned to Ebola or left unaccompanied is growing as fast as the outbreak itself,” says Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. “Care, specialized assistance and resources for these vulnerable children must keep pace.” 

Number of children orphaned or left unaccompanied by Ebola in the DR Congo rising fast

© UNICEF/UN0264160/Hubbard

The photograph above should be emblematic of the Ebola response and its aftermath: A survivor caring for the child of an Ebola case. Like all public health disasters, Ebola isn't over when it's over. We're all survivors. It lasts for the rest of our lives.

Via ReliefWeb, UNICEF has published Number of children orphaned or left unaccompanied by Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rising fast.

KINSHASA/DAKAR/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 13 August 2019 – The number of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who have been orphaned or left unaccompanied due to the Ebola epidemic has more than doubled since April, requiring a rapid ramp-up of specialized care in the Ebola-hit provinces of Ituri and North Kivu.  

UNICEF and partners have registered 1,380 orphans, meaning children who have lost one or both parents to Ebola, since the start of the outbreak just over a year ago. 

In this same period, 2,469 children have been separated from their parents or caregivers — either left alone while adults undergo screening and treatment, or isolated because they’ve been in contact with someone infected.  

“This disease has been especially harrowing for children,” says Pierre Ferry, UNICEF’s head of child protection programmes in the DRC. "Children are watching parents die in front of them or seeing loved ones taken to Ebola treatment centers, uncertain of when or if they will return. They are struggling with grief and anxiety, while having to comfort and care for younger siblings. Many face discrimination, stigmatization and isolation."  

UNICEF is working closely with partners and communities to rapidly identify affected children and tailor support to address their extensive physical, psychological and social needs.  

To date, UNICEF has trained 906 psychosocial assistants and psychologists who provide a range of individualized assistance for orphaned and separated children. 

"Coming from the affected communities, psychosocial workers are among the most trusted actors in the response,” says Ferry. “As a result, they've been able to reduce harmful discrimination and misinformation and boost community acceptance and engagement, which is crucial to stopping the outbreak." 

For unaccompanied children, psychosocial teams provide dedicated care that includes food, psychological support and material assistance. UNICEF runs three nurseries next to Ebola treatment centers in the epidemic's hotspots, where Ebola survivors, who are immune to the disease, care for and closely monitor infants and very young children until their parents or caregivers have completed treatment. 

For children with no surviving parents, the needs are longer-term. Psychosocial assistants work to place children with nurturing relatives or foster families — no easy task given the economic burden of raising extra children and the pervasive fear of catching the disease or being associated with it. It often requires delicate mediation as well as financial support for food, school fees and other basic necessities. The nature of the support is determined by the most pressing needs of each child or family.  

All the children require psychosocial assistance to mitigate the debilitating effects of loss, stigma and isolation, which is why UNICEF is working to quickly scale up child protection programs in Ebola-affected areas.  

“The number of children orphaned to Ebola or left unaccompanied is growing as fast as the outbreak itself,” says Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. “Care, specialized assistance and resources for these vulnerable children must keep pace.”

New measles surveillance data from WHO

WHO has published New measles surveillance data from WHO. Excerpt:

Measles outbreaks continue to spread rapidly around the world, according to the latest preliminary reports provided to the World Health Organization (WHO), with millions of people globally at risk of the disease.  

In the first six months of 2019, reported measles cases are the highest they have been in any year since 2006, with outbreaks straining health care systems, and leading to serious illness, disability, and deaths in many parts of the world. There have been almost three times as many cases reported to date in 2019 as there were at this same time last year. 

This follows successive yearly increases since 2016, indicating a concerning and continuing upsurge in the overall measles burden worldwide. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Ukraine have reported the highest numbers of cases this year. However, cases have dramatically decreased in Madagascar in the past several months as a result of nationwide emergency measles vaccine campaigns, highlighting how effective vaccination is in ending outbreaks and protecting health. 

Major outbreaks are ongoing in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan and Thailand. 

The largest outbreaks are in countries with low measles vaccination coverage, currently or in the past, which has left large numbers of people vulnerable to the disease. At the same time, protracted outbreaks are occurring even in countries with high national vaccination rates. This results from inequities in vaccine coverage, and gaps and disparities between communities, geographic areas, and among age-groups. When enough people who are not immune are exposed to measles, it can very quickly spread. 

The United States has reported its highest measles case count in 25 years. In the WHO European region, there have been close to 90,000 cases reported for the first six months of this year: this exceeds those recorded for the whole of 2018 (84 462) – already the highest in this current decade. 

The reasons for people not being vaccinated vary significantly between communities and countries including —lack of access to quality healthcare or vaccination services, conflict and displacement, misinformation about vaccines, or low awareness about the need to vaccinate. In a number of countries, measles is spreading among older children, youth and adults who have missed out on vaccination in the past. 

With governments and partners such as the Measles & Rubella Initiative, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and others, WHO is helping countries stop outbreaks, strengthen health services, and increase essential vaccination coverage. 

Measles is almost entirely preventable with two doses of measles vaccine, a safe and highly effective vaccine. High rates of vaccination coverage – 95% nationally and within communities – are needed to ensure that measles is unable to spread.

WHO: Ebola virus disease – DR Congo

WHO has published its weekly update: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo. Excerpt:

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued this week with similar transmission intensity to recent weeks with an average of 86 cases per week (range 80 to 91 cases per week) in the past six weeks (Figure 1). There are currently no confirmed cases of EVD outside of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

In the 21 days from 17 July through 6 August 2019, 65 health areas within 16 health zones reported new cases (Table 1, Figure 2). During this period, a total of 257 confirmed cases were reported, with the majority coming from the health zones of Beni (46%, n=119) and Mandima (23%, n=58). The majority of recent cases in Mandima Health Zone were reported from the northern health areas of Somé (n=39) and Mayuano (n=8). Of the eight cases reported in Mambasa Health Zone in the past 21 days, the majority have epidemiological links to Somé Health Area, with limited local transmission in Mambasa thus far.  

No new confirmed cases have been reported in Goma city since our last report, with a total of four confirmed cases reported from Goma (n=1) and Nyiragongo (n=3) health zones to date. Of the four cases, two have died and two are in an Ebola Treatment Centre(ETC). On 3 August, all 256 contacts related to the first confirmed case in Goma Health Zone (reported 14 July), finished their 21-day follow up period. A total of 232 contacts (including 114 high risk contacts) of the Nyiragongo cases remain under surveillance. Ongoing vaccination activities have reached the majority (98%) of eligible contacts, and 1314 contacts, contacts of contacts and frontline workers vaccinated to date.  

New infections continue to be reported among personnel working in community health posts and other facilities. In the last 21 days, 14 new cases were reported among health workers from Mandima (n=5), Beni (n=4), and one each in Katwa, Mambasa, Masereka, Oicha, and Vuhovi. Cumulatively, 149 (5%) healthcare workers have been infected to date.  

As of 6 August, a total of 2781 EVD cases were reported, including 2687 confirmed and 94 probable cases, of which 1866 cases died (overall case fatality ratio 67%). Of the total confirmed and probable cases, 56% (1572) were female, and 28% (791) were children aged less than 18 years.

Dengue in Central American and the Caribbean

Via ReliefWeb, OCHA has published Latin America & the Caribbean: Weekly Situation Update (29 July-5 August 2019) - As of 5 August 2019. Excerpt:

CENTRAL AMERICA: DENGUE OUTBREAKS 

KEY FIGURES 

42.3K CASES OF DENGUE IN HONDURAS THROUGH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL WEEK 30 

608 NEW CASES OF DENGUE IN GUATEMALA EACH WEEK  

2.2K HOSPITALIZATIONS OVER DENGUE IN EL SALVADOR  

441 CASES OF DENGUE FOR EVERY 100,000 INHABITANTS IN NICARAGUA, THE HIGHEST RATE IN CENTRAL AMERICA 

HONDURAS 

On orders of the Ministry of Health, all 1,606 health centers in Honduras are to stay open until 7:00pm, which should allow them to take the burden off public hospitals, nearly all of which are currently overrun with dengue cases.  

The Ministry also reports that they will open 15 Dengue Attention Clinics (CAD) within existing facilities, with two in the national capital of Tegucigalpa and two more in San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras. The CAD facilities will hire additional personnel to provide 24 hour service. 

Through epidemiological week (EW) 30, Honduras has accumulated 42,346 cases, with 9,793 cases of severe dengue and 156 total deaths. 

GUATEMALA 

Guatemala’s Ministry of Health formally declared a red epidemiological alert for dengue, allowing public health services to maintain permanent services for registration, notification, surveillance, weekly trend analysis and prevention campaigns until further notice. 

Health officials in Guatemala are concerned that water collection in drought-affected areas may become mosquito breeding sites 

According to the Ministry’s bulletin for epidemiological week 27, Guatemala is witnessing as many as 608 new cases each week. The Ministry’s head of epidemiology warns that the total number of cases may soon surpass 9,000, especially with Guatemala’s ongoing rainy season potentially leading to more disease-carrying mosquitos. 

EL SALVADOR  

Through 27 July, El Salvador has seen 10,316 suspected cases of dengue, 2,241 hospitalizations and 10 deaths. Although El Salvador’s health system has yet to declare any alert, they are coordinating with Civil Protection. 

PAHO/WHO is providing technical support for the Ministry of Health and supporting with virology diagnostic supplies for dengue, chikungunya and Zika, patient management guidelines and epidemiological analysis. Oxfam is supporting municipal authorities with fumigation campaigns and WASH supplies in schools. Save the Children is supporting 11 municipalities with existing Zika programs. 

NICARAGUA 

According to the Ministry of Health, there are 55,289 suspected cases of dengue in Nicaragua through epidemiological week (EW) 30, a 138 per cent increase from EW 30 2018. The Ministry declared an alert on 30 July that will scale up prevention and attention actions until November.  

According to PAHO/WHO, Nicaragua trails only Brazil in incidence of dengue cases, with 441 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants. Despite the high frequency of cases, Nicaragua has the lowest mortality rate in the region, with only eight deaths.

DRC Ebola: External Situation Report 53: 6 August 2019

WHO AFRO has published External Situation Report 53: 6 August 2019. Excerpt:

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in Democratic Republic of the Congo continues at a similar transmission intensity to previous weeks. Since our last external situation report, with data reported up to 28 July 2019, 92 new confirmed EVD cases with an additional 59 deaths have been reported across the two affected provinces. There are currently no confirmed cases of EVD outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hotspots continue to be the source of cases in other areas through the movement of suspected and confirmed cases and their contacts. This was observed on 30 July 2019 when a confirmed case was reported in Nyiragongo Health Zone on the outskirts of Goma city. This case-patient was a miner in Ituri and travelled to Goma through several hotspot areas. Two family members of the case-patient, a child and his spouse, have tested positive and are receiving care in the Goma Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC). There is currently no indication of an epidemiological link between these cases and the first case identified in Goma on 14 July 2019. All 256 contacts related to the confirmed case, who was reported on 14 July in Goma, finished their 21-day follow up period on 3 August 2019.

In the 21 days from 15 July through 4 August 2019, 68 health areas within 16 health zones reported new cases, representing 10% of the 664 health areas within North Kivu and Ituri provinces. During this period, a total of 260 confirmed cases were reported, with the majority coming from the health zones of Beni (46%, n=120) and Mandima (21%, n=54). The number of cases reported from Somé Health Area in Mandima Health Zone continues to increase, with 74% (n=40) of the total cases observed in this health zone in the last 21 days. The response in Somé Health Area was challenging for several weeks due to tension between local communities and Ebola response teams. The situation has recently improved following dialogues with community leaders to understand the community’s perspective and to define common ground for collaboration.

As of 4 August 2019, a total of 2763 EVD cases were reported, including 2669 confirmed and 94 probable cases, of which 1849 cases died (overall case fatality ratio 67%). Of the total confirmed and probable cases with reported sex and age, 57% (1562) were female, and 28% (787) were children aged less than 18 years. Cases continue to be reported among health workers, with the cumulative number infected rising to 149 (5% of all confirmed and probable cases).

1 August 2019 marked one year since the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the Ebola outbreak. UN partners reaffirmed our collective commitment to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and called for solidarity to end the outbreak.

WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO has published its weekly update: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo. Except:

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued this week with similar transmission intensity to recent weeks, with an average of 85 cases per week (range 79 to 91 cases per week) in the past six weeks (Figure 1). There are currently no confirmed cases of EVD outside of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

On 30 July, a confirmed EVD case was reported in Nyiragongo Health Zone on the outskirts of Goma city. The case worked as a miner in Ituri Province and travelled down through several outbreak hotspots, where he likely acquired the disease. Currently, there is no indication that the case had links to the to the first case identified in Goma on 14 July (see the 18 July Disease Outbreak News). 

Given that he was ill and in the community for several days before presenting to a health facility, secondary transmission to close contacts was anticipated. Two family members, a child and spouse, have subsequently tested positive and are receiving care in the Goma Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC). Other suspected cases among contacts are awaiting test results. 

Bolstered by months of preparedness, a sizable response, including exhaustive contact tracing and ring vaccination, was rapidly implemented upon detection of these cases with the aim of preventing tertiary spread or sustained local transmission in Goma city. Nonetheless, teams remain ready to rapidly respond to new cases. As of 1 August 2019, there are four confirmed case of EVD in Goma.  

In the 21 days from 11 July through 31 July 2019, 71 health areas within 18 health zones reported new cases, representing 11% of the 664 health areas within North Kivu and Ituri provinces (Table 1, Figure 2). During this period, a total of 260 confirmed cases were reported, with the majority coming from the health zones of Beni (52%, n=135) and Mandima (16%, n=41). Most (68%, n=28) of the cases reported in Mandima Health Zone came from Somé Health Area, which has in turn seeded cases to the nearby city of Mambasa in recent weeks. 

The response in Somé Health Area was challenging for several weeks, due to tension between local communities and Ebola response teams. However, the situation has improved, following dialogues with community leaders to understand the community’s perspective and to define common ground for collaboration. 

Biena Health Zone recently cleared 21 days since their last reported case. However, hotspots continue to be the source of cases in other areas through the movement of suspected and confirmed cases and their contacts, and high risks remain for the virus to be reintroduced to these areas, requiring teams to remain fully resourced and vigilant. 

As of 31 July 2019, a total of 2713 EVD cases were reported, including 2619 confirmed and 94 probable cases, of which 1823 cases died (overall case fatality ratio 67%). Of the total confirmed and probable cases, 56% (1527) were female, and 29% (773) were children aged less than 18 years. 

Cases continue to increase among health workers, with the cumulative number infected rising to 149 (5% of all confirmed and probable cases). 

1 August 2019 marked one year since the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the Ebola outbreak. UN partners reaffirmed our collective commitment to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and called for solidarity to end the outbreak.

DRC Ebola: Dr. Muyembe visits treatment center based at Goma General Hospital, no new cases confirmed

Via 7sur7.cd: DRC-EBOLA: Dr. Muyembe Visits Treatment Center Based at Goma General Hospital, No New Cases Confirmed. The Google translation:

The technical secretary of the Ebola response to the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Muyembe visited this Friday, August 2, 2019 the Ebola Treatment Center based at Goma General Hospital.  

According to the presidency's communications department, the internees are among the contacts and suspects of the deceased gold-miner's family. 

The epidemiological situation in this city today is as follows:   

- 2 proven cases of Ebola under treatment. This is the woman and the daughter of the gold miner. Their evolution is stable. The 2 patients are among the 4 cases including 2 deaths announced in recent days; 

- 6 contacts including 2 daughters of the gold miner tested negative. They are waiting for the last test this afternoon to confirm their negativity; 

- 4 other suspects are waiting for the test. 

This visit of Dr. Muyembe also allowed, according to the same source, to confirm that no new cases of Ebola are reported in Goma.