The World Health Organization on Thursday, said a third Ebola case has been identified in Democratic Republic of Congo’s city – Mbandaka.
The latest patient is a 48-year-old man believed to be a high-risk contact of the first Ebola patient identified in the DRC’s latest outbreak, who died on April 21.
A tweet by the WHO on Thursday, May 5 reads: “Responders have identified 444 contacts and continue to monitor their health,” it said.
A second victim of the virus died on April 25, after experiencing symptoms for more than a week, the WHO said last week.
The victim, a 25-year-old woman, was said to be the first casualty’s sister-in-law.
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Vaccinations have since commenced in Mbandaka with 281 people vaccinated so far, according to the WHO’s last published figures on inoculation.
The DRC has huge supplies of the Ebola vaccine, the WHO assured, adding that the country’s health authorities are more experienced in containing the disease than anywhere else in the world.
Investigations to determine the source of the current outbreak remain ongoing, the WHO said.
The DRC has experienced 13 outbreaks of Ebola in total, including one that started in 2018 and claimed nearly 2,300 victims, according to WHO.
Health authorities at the @MinSanteRDC in #DRC confirmed a 3rd case of #Ebola in Mbandaka on 4 May.
The 48-year old man is a high-risk contact of the first patient, who passed away on 21 April. Responders have identified 444 contacts and continue to monitor their health. pic.twitter.com/y26UkJIK3x
— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) May 5, 2022
