GENEVA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is at a key juncture, and while the control measures are working, the outbreak trend must be interpreted with caution, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
The latest WHO figures showed that as of Wednesday, a total of 116 EVD cases, including 86 confirmed and 30 probable, have been reported in five health zones in the DRC's North Kivu province and one health zone in Ituri province, while the death toll has reached 77, including 47 confirmed and 30 probable. The median age of confirmed and probable cases is 35 years and 56 percent were female.
Fifteen cases have been reported among health workers, of which 14 were confirmed and one has died. The WHO and partners are working with health workers and communities to increase awareness on infection prevention and control measures, as well as vaccinate those at risk of infection.
According to the WHO, currently Ebola control measures are working. Over the past week, contact follow-up rates have substantially improved, most patients recently admitted to Ebola treatment centers received therapeutics within hours of being confirmed, and ring vaccination activities have scaled to reach contacts of most confirmed cases reported in the last three weeks.
The outbreak trend, however, must be interpreted with caution, the WHO warned.
During the past week, 13 additional confirmed and probable cases have been reported, the majority from the city of Beni, while substantial risks remain due to potential undocumented chains of transmission, for instance, four of the 13 new cases were not known contacts.
The WHO underlined a number of potential channels to further propagate the outbreak, such as high-risk behaviors in some communities including unsafe burials and reluctance towards contact tracing and vaccination; poor infection prevention and control practices in some community health centers; and delays in patients reaching Ebola treatment centers when symptoms develop.
In addition to the ongoing response actions, the WHO announced to launch, together with DR Congo Ministry of Health and partners, a 30-day strategic plan to strengthen readiness against EVD in all DR Congo provinces.
The first phase of the plan will prioritize six provinces at highest risk of case importations, including South Kivu, Maniema, Ituri, Tanganika, Haut Uele and Bas Uele, to ensure that these provinces implement essential operational readiness measures, including enhancing surveillance, infection prevention and control, and social mobilization to mitigate.
Given the current conditions, the WHO remains that the public health risk was assessed to be high at the national and regional levels, and low globally, and advises against any restriction of travel and trade to the DR Congo.
