Africa CDC Says 15 Dead, 30 Infected With Ebola In Africa’s Guinea, DR Congo

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Wednesday said 30 Ebola virus cases and 15 related deaths have been reported in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) so far, reported CGTN Africa.

In the latest update, the Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union, reported a fatality rate of 50 percent in the two countries currently facing a fresh Ebola outbreak.

According to the Africa CDC, Guinea had 18 cases and nine deaths while the DRC had 12 cases and six deaths. Six Ebola virus recoveries were reported in Guinea and two in the DRC.

Two healthcare workers in the DRC and five in Guinea are among the confirmed cases.

In its Ebola virus cross-border updates, the Africa CDC indicated that some 18 Ebola virus-related alerts were reported in Sierra Leone from February 15 to March 12. But, all alerts tested negative for the Ebola virus and no confirmed Ebola cases have been reported from Sierra Leone so far.

The latest outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease in the two African countries has led to a state of fear in the African continent, which is already struggling to control the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the African Union’s healthcare agency called on all African countries to increase their cross-border surveillance efforts by checking population movements to identify all potential crossing points where there is a risk of disease spread.

It has also urged African countries to set up screening posts and conduct health screenings for travelers with signs of Ebola and implement public health measures at all border crossing points to stop the spread of the virus.

Furthermore, AU member countries have been asked to continue performing contact tracing and follow-up of all probable and confirmed cases, and enhance infection prevention and control measures.