The Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) on 23 April 2022.
The outbreak occurs in the town of Mbandaka in Equateur province. A 31 year old student arrived at the hospital in Wangata on 19 April and died two days later in the hospital’s Ebola treatment centre. His samples tested EVD positive on 22 April.
Authorities have identified 74 known contacts of the Ebola victim so far, who are now being followed-up. The decontamination of the health facilities and concerned households is ongoing.
Equateur province experienced Ebola outbreaks in 2018 and 2020. To reinforce the public health system in the province, authorities just launched a new programme called “Redisse IV post Ebola” with USD 10 million financing from the World Bank on 16 April 2022.
The most recent EVD outbreak in the DRC – its 13th since 1976 – ended in December 2021 and occurred in the province of North Kivu.