Johannesburg, Apr. 24, (dpa/GNA) - Health authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus after a single case was confirmed in the country’s northwest.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Saturday that so far just a single case had been confirmed in Equateur province and investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing.

There have been 14 Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1976. The new outbreak is the sixth since 2018 – the most frequent occurrence in the country’s Ebola history, according to the UN health agency.

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

“The disease has had a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The positive news is that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world at controlling Ebola outbreaks quickly”, he added.

A vaccination campaign will begin within days, the WHO said.

Ebola infections usually lead to high fever and internal bleeding and are often fatal. In 2014 and 2015, the largest outbreak of the disease occurred in West Africa and resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

GNA

Johannesburg, Apr. 24, (dpa/GNA) - Health authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus after a single case was confirmed in the country’s northwest.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Saturday that so far just a single case had been confirmed in Equateur province and investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing.

There have been 14 Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1976. The new outbreak is the sixth since 2018 – the most frequent occurrence in the country’s Ebola history, according to the UN health agency.

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

“The disease has had a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The positive news is that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world at controlling Ebola outbreaks quickly”, he added.

A vaccination campaign will begin within days, the WHO said.

Ebola infections usually lead to high fever and internal bleeding and are often fatal. In 2014 and 2015, the largest outbreak of the disease occurred in West Africa and resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

GNA

Johannesburg, Apr. 24, (dpa/GNA) - Health authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus after a single case was confirmed in the country’s northwest.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Saturday that so far just a single case had been confirmed in Equateur province and investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are ongoing.

There have been 14 Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1976. The new outbreak is the sixth since 2018 – the most frequent occurrence in the country’s Ebola history, according to the UN health agency.

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

“The disease has had a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The positive news is that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world at controlling Ebola outbreaks quickly”, he added.

A vaccination campaign will begin within days, the WHO said.

Ebola infections usually lead to high fever and internal bleeding and are often fatal. In 2014 and 2015, the largest outbreak of the disease occurred in West Africa and resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

GNA