Ebola

Congo's Ebola outbreak rises to 100 deaths out of 550 cases after a month

At least 100 people have died from Ebola less than a month after authorities declared an outbreak of the disease in eastern Congo, authorities said. Attacks on health workers from angry residents, skepticism among some locals and armed conflict in hot spots continue to challenge efforts to stop the spread. Out of the 550 cases of the disease confirmed as of Sunday, there have been 101 deaths and 19 recoveries, according to the latest situation report late Monday. The number of cases though is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed weeks late, and response has been challenging also because the virus has no approved vaccine or treatment. The latest Ebola disease outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which does not have an approved vaccine or treatment unlike the Zaire virus responsible for most of Congo's past 16 outbreaks of the disease.

WHO unveils $518 million Ebola preparedness and response plan for DRC

WHO chief also shared that earlier this week he held a constructive meeting with President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi to discuss the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak

3 returnees from Ebola-hit African nations isolated in Chhattisgarh

Three persons, who recently returned to Chhattisgarh's Durg district from Ebola virus-affected countries in Africa, have been placed under 21-day home isolation as a precautionary measure, officials said on Thursday. The three travellers, however, show no symptoms of the disease and have no history of contact with Ebola-infected persons, officials said. Durg Collector Abhijeet Singh said one woman arrived in Durg from the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 31, while two others reached Bhilai on June 2 from Ethiopia and Uganda. Of the three travellers, two are Indian nationals and one is a Ugandan citizen, he said. "As none of them have symptoms and there is no history of contact, all three have been placed under home isolation for 21 days. They are currently asymptomatic and in good health," Singh said. Health officials have been monitoring their condition through telephonic follow-up twice a day and collecting information about their health status every morning and evening, he .

Congo reopens Bunia airport as Ebola outbreak shows early signs of slowing

The airport in Bunia - the capital of Ituri province - resumed operations immediately after health authorities determined that screening and surveillance measures were sufficient to manage travel risk

Congo's Ebola outbreak near 300 as health workers celebrate recoveries

At least 282 cases of Ebola disease have been confirmed in Congo's growing outbreak, the central African nation says, as more joyful stories from recovered medical workers emerge. One nurse spoke of his "indescribable joy" at beating the illness. The outbreak remains focused in eastern Ituri province, where 264 cases have been confirmed, the health ministry said. Congo has reported more than 1,000 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo virus, the species of Ebola that was confirmed weeks after the outbreak quietly began. There is no approved medicine to treat it, or vaccine. The disease outbreak has killed 42 people in Congo and one person in neighbouring Uganda, according to health authorities in both countries. The outbreak has spread to 22 health zones across three eastern provinces in Congo, government data shows, even as the World Health Organization has sought to highlight signs of progress, like new deliveries of supplies to deeply under-resourced health centres. Congo's health .

WHO advisers recommend Ebola drugs be limited to clinical trials only

That means people who are sick now, or are at risk of becoming sick after being exposed to them, may not get access

Congo seeks experimental Ebola antibody as outbreak crosses 1,000 cases

Eastern Congo faces a "catastrophic collision" of war and disease as fighting and displacement accelerate the spread of Ebola and undermine efforts to isolate patients and trace contacts

India sends emergency medical supplies for Ebola outbreak response in Congo

India has sent emergency pharmaceutical supplies to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Congo, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. In a social media post, Ethiopia-headquartered Africa CDC said the consignment, donated by India, was received in Uganda by its Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre. The supplies include essential diagnostics, therapeutics, infection prevention and control materials, and case management support, which will be deployed to affected communities in eastern DR Congo, it said. "Africa CDC welcomes the arrival of emergency pharmaceutical supplies generously donated by the Government and people of India to support the ongoing response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC," the continental public health agency said. It thanked India for its "continued support and commitment to protecting lives and advancing health security across the continent". The Bundibugyo strain is one of the six known species

Uganda national in Bengaluru tests negative for Ebola after isolation

A Uganda national with recent travel history from the East African nation has tested negative for Ebola after she was placed under isolation in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure when she reported mild symptoms of body ache, official sources said on Wednesday. The 28-year-old woman was placed under isolation at the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Bengaluru for observation and further evaluation, the sources said. A sample was collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing, and the result has returned negative for Ebola virus disease (EVD), they said. "The individual is otherwise in a healthy condition now," a source said. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is closely monitoring the evolving Ebola situation following recent EVD outbreaks reported in parts of Africa, the sources said. In coordination with the concerned state authorities, the ministry is maintaining close surveillance and all necessary public health protocols are being .

Canada imposes 21-day self-isolation for travellers from Ebola-hit regions

The Canadian government said on Tuesday that travellers from Ebola-affected regions will be required to self-isolate for 21 days, and that immigration authorities are temporarily suspending decisions on applications from Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Luc Brisebois, director-general for the Centre for Border and Travel Health at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the measures are being implemented out of an "abundance of caution" and will stay in place until August 29. Travellers who have symptoms will be transferred to hospital for further medical assessment. The stricter border measures are being implemented starting Saturday, and those who do not have somewhere to isolate will be provided with a place. Canadian officials also said that starting Wednesday, they are pausing final decisions on immigration applications for people from affected countries for 90 days, though that could be extended or lifted based on the evolution of the outbreak. The outbreak is centred around .

DGCA issues Ebola SOP for airlines, mandates passenger screening

India's aviation regulator has directed airlines to collect self-declaration forms and monitor Ebola symptoms among passengers travelling from or transiting through Uganda and DRC

Congo Ebola outbreak is outpacing responders as patients flee clinics: WHO

Congo has reported 101 confirmed Ebola infections, 930 suspected cases and 221 suspected deaths, according to health ministry data released late Monday

Ebola outbreak is one danger, attacks on healthcare workers are another

Every time Vanny Birungi, a volunteer with the Red Cross in eastern Congo, goes out to raise awareness about the latest Ebola outbreak as suspected cases near 1,000, she faces a double threat. One is the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola, with no vaccine or treatment. The other is the anger and suspicion of residents who have pelted her with stones and verbal abuse in Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbreak. "We continue to tell them that the disease is out there. Some accept, and others don't," Birungi told The Associated Press on Monday as she and colleagues spoke with groups of people in a working-class neighborhood under the scorching sun. Aid workers are especially at risk in this volatile region where residents, like Birungi, have long been under threat of armed groups that have killed thousands of people and displaced many more in recent years. Trust is hard to find among the traumatised population that is wary of outsiders, even those trying desperately to contain the rapidl

How Congo is battling Ebola amid aid cuts, armed rebels, and anger

Arson attacks on Ebola treatment centers in eastern Congo underscore the serious challenges authorities face -- including a backlash in local communities -- as they try to stem an outbreak of the infectious disease that has been declared a global health emergency. On Sunday, Congolese authorities said suspected cases have now passed 900 in the east of the country, mainly in Ituri Province, where the ongoing outbreak is centered. The burning last week of the centers in two towns at the heart of the outbreak exposed the anger in a region beset by violence linked to armed rebel groups, the displacement of a large number of people, the failure of local government and international aid cuts that experts say have stripped health facilities in vulnerable communities. "A devastating set of emergencies are converging," the Physicians for Human Rights nonprofit said. Here's a look at the longstanding crises in eastern Congo that have made it home to one of the world's worst humanitarian ...

Govt advises citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Congo, Uganda, Sudan

The Indian government has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan in view of the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain in parts of Africa. The advisory comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 17 declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also designated the outbreak affecting the DRC and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. According to the advisory issued by the Indian government on Saturday, the WHO's IHR Emergency Committee on May 22 issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at points of entry to "detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection" while discouraging travel to the

WHO declares Ebola outbreak 'health emergency' of international concern

India advises citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan amid evolving Ebola situation, following WHO recommendations

US to keep out green-card holders returning from Ebola-hit regions

CDC said in a statement that the rule won't permanently bar affected green-card holders but provides the agency with the authority to restrict entry when necessary

Ebola outbreak in Congo spreading rapidly amid treatment gaps, warns WHO

The agency upgraded its risk assessment to 'very high' in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths from the disease

WHO chief Adhanom says Ebola outbreak in Congo is 'spreading rapidly'

The head of the World Health Organisation says the Ebola outbreak in Congo is "spreading rapidly" and now poses a "very high" risk at the national level. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said Friday the UN health agency was revising upward to "very high" its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels, he told reporters. The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, "but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger." He said there are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighbouring Uganda is "stable" with two cases confirmed in people who had travelled from Congo, with one death.

Ebola spreads silently through Congo's mines and conflict-hit regions

Population growth, climate change and rising human contact with wildlife are fuelling spread of animal-borne diseases like Ebola, though improved detection methods may explain some increase in cases