New Ebola virus case linked to previous outbreak reported in Congo, patient dead; over 50 high-risk contacts yet to be traced

New Delhi: Congo has confirmed a new case of the Ebola virus in its eastern city of Beni, news agency PTI reported on Monday (August 22, 2022) citing the Central African country's health ministry. The 46-year-old woman patient, who was admitted to the Beni hospital in late July and died on August 15, is linked to a previous outbreak. Testing by a lab at the country's National Institute for Biomedical Research in Goma on Monday confirmed that the case was the Ebola Zaire strain and was genetically linked to Congo's 10th outbreak in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces from 2018 to 2020 that killed more than 2,000 people, PTI said.

"Our team on-site in Beni has carried out a dignified and secure burial and also decontaminated the hospital where the patient stayed," the ministry was quoted as saying by PTI.

There are more than 130 high-risk contacts that have been identified, of which 71 have been seen. The others remain at large, the ministry said.

"We call on the population to calm down and to respect hygienic measures," the ministry added.

What is Ebola virus?

The Ebola virus disease (EVD), which was formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. The virus transmits to people from wild animals such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates, and then spreads in the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. 

The first Ebola virus disease outbreaks were recorded in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests in 1976. The 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa was the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the virus was first discovered. 

As per WHO, there were more cases and deaths in this outbreak than all others combined. 

It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.

Symptoms of Ebola virus disease?

Symptoms of the Ebola virus disease include fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, and sore throat. 

This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools). 

The incubation period is from 2 to 21 days.

(With agency inputs)