Suspected Cases of Ebola Rise to 18 in Democratic Republic of Congo
By DENISE GRADYMAY 18, 2017
The number of suspected cases of Ebola has risen to 18 from nine in less than a week in an isolated part of Democratic Republic
of Congo, where three have died from the disease since April 22, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
was criticized for responding too slowly to an outbreak in West Africa in 2014
that left more than 11,000 people dead, and Dr. Peter Salama, the executive director of the organization’s health emergencies program, said at a briefing that it was essential to "never, ever underestimate Ebola" and to "make sure we have a no-regrets approach to this outbreak." The risk from the outbreak is "high at the national level," the W.H.O.
achieved." Dr. Salama said that aid workers had reached a town in the Likati zone, which was as close as they had been able to come to the epicenter of the outbreak.
that I think there is a very good probability that control can be rapidly
The response would involve a "ring vaccination," in which contacts of patients, contacts of contacts, and health workers would be vaccinated.
We’re expecting to get to the epicenter by the weekend." The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in the United States is also sending a renowned Ebola expert, Dr. Pierre Rollin, to Congo, along with epidemiologists, a spokeswoman said.