Ebola

Source of Ebola outbreak remains unknown as Uganda declares victory

Health authorities in Uganda have admitted that even though the country’s latest Ebola outbreak is over, the source of the outbreak still remains unknown. In her remarks at the event marking the official declaration of the end of the outbreak, Dr. Aceng Jane Ruth Ocero, Uganda’s Minister for Health, said the health ministry is working with its local and international partners to identify the source of the outbreak in addition to factors suggesting possible seasonal occurrences. “The source of this outbreak,

Ebola outbreak officially over in Uganda

Uganda has declared the end of an Ebola outbreak caused by Sudan ebolavirus, just four months after the first case was confirmed in the country’s central Mubende district on September 20, 2022. The country’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Acero, praised the swift response to the outbreak, which included surveillance, contact tracing, and infection prevention and control measures. In total, there were 164 cases of the disease (142 confirmed and 22 probable), with 55 confirmed deaths and 87

Uganda declares Ebola outbreak

The health authorities in Uganda today declared an outbreak of Ebola after a case of the Sudan ebolavirus was confirmed in Mubende district in the central part of the country.  The Uganda Virus Research Institute confirmed the case after testing a sample taken from a 24-year-old male. This follows an investigation by the National Rapid Response team of six suspicious deaths that have occurred in the district this month. There are currently eight suspected cases who are receiving care in a

Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola resurgence in North Kivu

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a resurgence of Ebola late last night, following confirmation of one case in the country’s eastern province of North Kivu.   A 46-year-old woman died on 15 August 2022 in Beni, a town located in North Kivu. She received care at the Beni Referral Hospital, initially for other ailments, but subsequently, exhibited symptoms consistent with Ebola virus disease.   Both the Beni and Goma branches of the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) confirmed

DR Congo’s 14th Ebola outbreak is over

The Democratic Republic of the Congo today declared the end of the Ebola outbreak that erupted less than three months ago in Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province in the northwest. It was the third outbreak in the province since 2018 and the country’s 14th overall. With greater experience in Ebola control, national emergency teams, with the support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, mounted a swift response soon after the outbreak was declared on 23 April, rolling out key

What we know about the origin of DRC’s latest Ebola outbreak

On April 23, 2022, the Minister of Public Health, Hygiene, and Prevention announced a new case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) occurring in Mbandaka health zone in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). EVD outbreaks occurred previously in Equateur Province in 2018 and 2020. The 31-year-old male, a student from Boende in Tshuapa Province, returned to Mbandaka, Equateur Province on February 25, 2022. He was vaccinated against Ebola virus in 2020 and is not known to be an EVD

Ebola returns to DRC

The health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today declared an outbreak of Ebola after a case was confirmed in Mbandaka, a city in the north-western Equateur Province. This is the third outbreak in the province since 2018. So far, just one case has been confirmed. The patient, a 31-year-old man, began experiencing symptoms on 5 April and after more than a week of care at home, sought treatment at a local health facility. On 21 April, the patient

Ebola vaccination exercise kicks off in Guinea

Ebola vaccination of people at high risk kicked off today in Guinea as the emergency response was escalated to counter the spread of the virus that re-emerged in the country a little more than a week ago for the first time since 2016. The vaccination was launched in Gouecke, a rural community in N’Zerekore prefecture where the first cases were detected on 14 February. The Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Guinea, General Remy Lamah, the United Nations Resident Coordinator,

For the 12th time, Ebola outbreak announced in DR Congo

The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today announced that a new case of Ebola has been detected in Butembo, a city in North Kivu Province, where a previous outbreak was declared over in June 2020. The Butembo branch of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) confirmed Ebola in samples taken from a patient with Ebola-like symptoms who had sought treatment at a local health centre. The woman was the wife of an Ebola survivor.

There is an approved treatment for Ebola

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ebanga (Ansuvimab-zykl), a human monoclonal antibody, for the treatment for Zaire ebolavirus (Ebolavirus) infection in adults and children. Ebanga blocks binding of the virus to the cell receptor, preventing its entry into the cell. FDA granted the approval to Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, LP. Ebanga was granted an Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage drug development for rare diseases. Additionally, the agency granted Ebanga a Breakthrough Therapy designation. “Patients who receive Ebanga should avoid