The World Health Organization (WHO) has disclosed that Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak may soon be over after the final patient was discharged from care over the weekend, with no new infections detected since September 25.
The development marks the start of a 42-day monitoring period, after which the outbreak can be officially declared over if no additional cases are confirmed.
Declared on September 4 in the remote Bulape health district of Kasai province, the outbreak infected 64 people in total, 53 confirmed and 11 probable, and claimed 43 lives. According to WHO, only 19 patients survived, including the most recent person discharged.
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Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s regional director for Africa, commended the swift and coordinated response. “The recovery of the last patient just six weeks after the outbreak was declared is a remarkable achievement that shows how strong partnership, national expertise and determination have contributed to overcoming challenges to save and protect lives,” he said, according to AP’s report.
The WHO emphasized that its teams remain in the field, working alongside Congolese authorities to strengthen surveillance and maintain rapid-response capacity should new cases arise.
This was the first Ebola outbreak in Kasai province in nearly two decades. Health workers faced enormous challenges in reaching patients across rugged terrain and poor road networks, yet the rapid containment points out the progress made in managing one of the world’s deadliest viruses.
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