ANI |
Update: March 17, 2021 10:49 PM STI
Addis Ababa [Ethiopia], March 17 (ANI / Xinhua): The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have so far reported 30 cases of the Ebola virus and 15 associated deaths.
Africa CDC, the African Union’s specialized health agency, which has 55 members, reported a 50 percent death rate in both countries.
Official figures reported to the agency showed the DRC had 12 cases and six deaths while Guinea had 18 cases and nine deaths, the African CDC said in a statement released Tuesday evening.
According to the Africa CDC, Guinea and DRC have so far reported eight recoveries from the Ebola virus, six and two, respectively.
Seven health workers are among the confirmed cases, two in DRC and five in Guinea, according to the agency.
The Africa CDC, in its cross-border Ebola updates, reported that between February 15 and March 12, some 18 Ebola-related alerts were reported in Sierra Leone.
He stressed, however, that all the alerts had been investigated and tested negative for the Ebola virus, as he pointed out that there were no confirmed cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone to date.
At the same time, the agency called on all African countries to strengthen their cross-border surveillance efforts by mapping population movements in order to identify any potential crossing points where there is a risk of the disease spreading.
African countries have been urged to set up screening posts and conduct health examinations for travelers showing signs of Ebola, as well as to implement public health measures at border crossing points, including including temperature monitoring and infection prevention and control measures.
He also called on AU members to continue to conduct contact tracing and follow-up of all probable and confirmed cases, as well as to improve infection prevention and control measures in health care facilities. health, the protection of health care workers and to practice a safe and dignified burial.
New outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus disease in the two African countries are sending new chills to Africa as the continent continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2014-2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa killed more than 11,300, with more than 28,600 recorded cases.
Ebola is a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that causes a range of symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, general pain or malaise, and in many cases internal and external bleeding. (ANI / Xinhua)