Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo 4 April – 22 May 2018

by Shane Granger

The World Health Organisation updated its Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo Disease Outbreak News on Wednesday with numbers to Tuesday. The DR Congo Ministry of Health updated its numbers today with data to Wednesday presenting some new numbers including the invalidation of eight previously reported community deaths which occurred pre-outbreak.

Ian Mackay has broken down the numbers for us in an easy tweet. They are:

#Ebola numbers for 22MAY2018 from DRC MOH…

  • total: 58 (+0 from last report)
  • confirmed: 30 (+2)
  • suspect: 14 (+5)
  • probable: 14 (-7)
  • fatal: 22 (38%; -5)
  • Wangata: 10 (+3 suspect; +2 deaths)
  • Iboko: 24 (+6 suspect)
  • Bikoro: 24 (+3 suspect)

Those numbers in a infographic which details the cases/fatalities by territory (rather than Health Zone). Iboko Health Zone lies within Bikoro Territory:

180524_Infographic_EbolaInDRC

The World Health Organisation data via its latest Disease Outbreak News. Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo. Excerpt:

On 8 May 2018, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD). This is the ninth outbreak of Ebola virus disease over the last four decades in the country, with the most recent outbreak occurring in May 2017.

Since the last Disease Outbreak News on 17 May 2018, an additional fourteen cases with four deaths have been reported. On 21 May 2018, eight new suspected cases were reported, including six cases in Iboko Health Zone and two cases in Wangata Health Zone. On 20 May, seven cases (reported previously) in Iboko Health Zone have been confirmed. Recently available information has enabled the classification of some cases to be updated.

As of 21 May 2018, a cumulative total of 58 Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases, including 27 deaths (case fatality rate = 47%), have been reported from three health zones in Equateur Province. The total includes 28 confirmed, 21 probable and 9 suspected cases from the three health zones: Bikoro (n=29; ten confirmed and 19 probable), Iboko (n=22; fourteen confirmed, two probable and six suspected cases) and Wangata (n=7; four confirmed and three suspected case). Of the four confirmed cases in Wangata, two have an epidemiological link with a probable case in Bikoro from April 2018. As of 21 May, over 600 contacts have been identified and are being followed-up and monitored field investigations are ongoing to determine the index case. Three health care workers were among the 58 cases reported.