A new case of Ebola epidemic is about to surface in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) if drastic health measure is taken to contain it.
A Congo woman that was discovered to have contracted the Ebola virus in Biena town on 1st February 2021, died on 3rd February 2021 in a hospital in Butembo, a city in North Kivu, northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The deceased had lost her husband to Ebola disease. Meanwhile, the places the dead woman visited have been disinfected, and the contact-tracing of more than 70 persons she met is undertaken.
DRC health ministry said that “the provincial response team is already hard at work. It will be supported by the national response team which will visit Butembo shortly.”
Congo has thick forests that provided a breeding haven for the bat-infected virus.
World Health Organization is worried that the development could lead to an epidemic. In the statement of WHO, “it is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak.”