|
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
|
Biosecurity Briefing
WHO Responds to Ebola Outbreak in the Congo By Crystal Franco, September 14, 2007 On September 11, 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report about an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to the update, the DRC Health Ministry as well as laboratories in Gabon and at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have “confirmed the presence of Ebola virus” in samples obtained from patients “associated with the outbreak.” As of September 11, WHO was “aware” of 372 suspected cases and 166 deaths suspected to be associated with the outbreak.1 WHO is supporting the DRC Health Ministry in its outbreak response by providing WHO staffsupplies (including personal protective equipment [PPE]), medicines, etc. Additionally, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) “has deployed clinicians, water and sanitation experts and logisticians to the area and has established appropriate isolation facilities.” WHO is working with CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other agencies to procure additional laboratory support for the DRC Health Ministry during their investigation of the outbreak.1 On September 13, 2007, WHO released an update indicating that the organization is expanding field operations in the DRC in order to help contain the Ebola outbreak. “Of high priority is the establishment of a mobile field laboratory to be attached to the existing isolation ward in order to expedite rapid diagnosis of patients and to differentiate between the different pathogens, such as Shigella dysenteriae type 1, that have also been associated with this outbreak. Ongoing surveillance and case finding is also being enhanced and social mobilization activities are under-way to provide the local population with all relevant information in order to contain the outbreak.”2 References
|