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DR Congo

UNICEF DRC COVID-19 and Ebola Situation Report No.2, 11-15 October 2021

Attachments

Highlights

• A new case was confirmed on 13 October 2021 in the Health Area of Butsili (Beni Health Zone): a 42 year old woman who was linked to the 3 probable Ebola-related deaths. The woman died on 13 October.

• On 13 October, 160 cubic meters of critical WASH and nutrition supplies arrived in Beni from Goma

• UNICEF is supporting the Ebola vaccination campaign that started on 13 October through Infection Prevention Control (IPC) and community engagement to reinforce participation

Situation Overview

• On 8 October, the Ministry of Health confirmed that, on 6October, a three-year-old boy died of Ebola in a health center in the Butsili Health Area (Beni Health Zone), North Kivu Province. Ebola was confirmed after a GeneXpert test was performed by the Laboratoire Rodolphe Merieux - INRB (National Institute of Biomedical Research) in Goma;

• The swab sample was sequenced, and initial findings indicate that “this outbreak likely represents a new flare-up of the 2018-2020 Nord Kivu/Ituri EVD outbreak, initiated by transmission from a persistently infected survivor or a survivor who experienced relapse. Epidemiologic investigations are ongoing to determine the source”.

• A new case was confirmed on 13 October 2021 in the Health Area of Butsili (Beni Health Zone): a 42 years old woman who was linked to three probable Ebola-related deaths in September 2021. The woman died on 13 October;

• As of 15 October, 256 contacts have been identified, of whom, 46.7% have reported to be vaccinated.

• The Beni Ebola Treatment Center which was operational in 2018-20 remains non-operational at this time. However, 7 temporary isolation units have been set up in different health centers in the Beni Health Zone and at the General Refence Hospital in Beni with a 41-bed capacity for suspected cases;