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Ebola Virus Disease - Democratic Republic of the Congo: External Situation Report 2 (16 May 2017)

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DR Congo
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WHO
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1. Situation update

WHO continues to monitor the outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Likati Health Zone, Bas Uele Province located in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 15 May and 16 May 2017, two new suspected EVD cases were reported in Azande (one case) and Nambwa (1 case) health areas in Lakati Health Zone. As of 16 May 2017, 21 suspected EVD cases including three deaths (case fatality rate of 14.3%) have been reported. Most of the cases presented with fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and other bleeding symptoms and signs. The cases have been reported from four health areas, namely Nambwa (13 cases and two deaths), Mouma (three cases and one death), Ngayi (four cases and no deaths) and Azande (one case and no deaths).

Two of five blood samples collected from the initial cases and analysed at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) laboratory in Kinshasa tested positive for Zaire ebolavirus. Approximately 400 close contacts have been registered in Likati Health Zone and are being monitored.

This Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was notified to WHO by the Ministry of Health on 11 May 2017. The cluster of cases and deaths of previously unidentified illness have been reported since late April 2017. Likati Health Zone shares borders with two provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and with the Central African Republic (Fig. 1). The affected areas are remote and hard to reach, with limited communication and transport networks.