Research and analysis

HPR volume 12 issue 23: news (29 June)

Updated 21 December 2018

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Update on the EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and UK actions

On 28 June 2018, the DRC Ministry of Health announced that 21 days (the maximum incubation period) had elapsed since the last confirmed case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) had been reported in the country. A second period of 21 days (a total of 42 days) will need to elapse before the outbreak can be declared officially over.

Since early May 2018, a total of 34 confirmed and 15 probable cases of EVD have been reported in the three affected health zones (Bikoro, Mbandaka and Ikoro: see map in the latest WHO AFRO SitRep). Suspected cases are likely to continue to be reported during this period of enhanced surveillance.

Case table for EVD outbreak (Equateur Province) as of 28 June 2018. Data provided by DRC MoH [1]

Location Confirmed Probable Suspected
Bikoro 10 11 1
Iboko 24 4 0
Wangata (part of Mbandaka city) 4 0 1
TOTAL 38 15 5

A total of 28 deaths have been reported to date, a case fatality rate of 47.5%. As of 27 June, a total of 3,330 people had been vaccinated as part of the ring vaccination component of control measures.

The risk to the UK public has remained very low to negligible. The situation continues to be monitored closely and the risk assessment reviewed as new information becomes available.

The following measures have been taken by PHE to ensure a proportionate response that protects public health:

  • epidemiological monitoring of the outbreak and risk assessments for UK population
  • provision of updated advice to humanitarian and healthcare workers being deployed to DRC
  • deployment of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team to DRC
  • establishment of a centralised process for identifying, monitoring, and following-up the small number of medical and humanitarian workers currently expected to return to the UK (Returning Workers Scheme)
  • awareness-raising among relevant stakeholders, via the high consequence infectious diseases specialists network
  • working with other government departments, the devolved administrations and stakeholders on domestic preparedness and contingency measures
  • updating the PHE website EVD collection: Ebola virus disease: clinical management and guidance.

Further information sources

Reference

  1. DRC Ministry of Health, 28 June.

Infection reports in this issue of HPR

This issue includes the following quarterly vaccine coverage report:

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