Kinshasa: The Democratic Republic of Congo, the second-largest African country in terms of land area, has reported its second death from Ebola. A 31-year-old man has died in Mabandaka in northwestern Equator province. He had been ill for more than a week and was undergoing treatment. His 25 year old sister-in-law died on April 25.
"This is very sad news, and we must continue to put all our effort into saving the lives of anyone else who may have contracted the virus. So far, at least 145 people have been listed as contacts," said Dr. Fiona Braka, the team lead for emergency responses at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
The woman began experiencing symptoms on April 13, Braka said, adding that "responders have been working intensely to find anyone who may have interacted with her while she was symptomatic and are closely monitoring their health." She was given a "safe and dignified burial," Braka added.
The initial patient began experiencing symptoms on April 5 and sought treatment at a local health facility before being admitted to an Ebola treatment center on April 21 for intensive care, the WHO said at the weekend. He died later that day, the organization confirmed.
"The disease has had a two-week head start and we are now playing catch-up. The positive news is that health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more experience than anyone else in the world at controlling Ebola outbreaks quickly." said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Vaccines will be sent to Mbandaka and administered through the 'ring vaccination' strategy, where contacts and contacts of contacts are vaccinated to curb the spread of the virus and protect lives.
"Many people in Mbandaka are already vaccinated against Ebola, which should help reduce the impact of the disease," said Moeti. "All those who were vaccinated during the 2020 outbreak will be revaccinated."
The Central African country has had more Ebola outbreaks than any other country since the virus was first discovered near the Ebola River in the DRC's northern region in 1976.