Ebola Outbreak in the DRC Records 139 Fatalities

CDC Travel Alert for DRC upgraded to Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions
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Africa (Precision Vaccinations News)

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) said the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed 139 deaths related to the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak.

This is the DRC’s 10th Ebola virus outbreak in the last 40 years.

And, this Ebola outbreak, which began on August 1, 2018, is now the world's 6th largest since Ebola was first recorded in 1976. 

This Ebola outbreak is centered in the town of Mangina, in the northeastern North Kivu province, which is located in central Africa.   

The WHO continues to warn visitors to the DRC the risk of Ebola spreading in the region is “very high.”   

To alert international travelers to the DRC of the expanding Ebola situation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) upgraded its Travel Alert to Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions, on October 19, 2018.

In addition, the US State Department issued a Level 3 Travel Advisory for the DRC on September 19, 2018. This State Department Travel Advisory says travelers should ‘Reconsider Travel’ to the DRC. 

As of October 29, 2018, Ebola vaccination totals have reached 24,142 people in the DRC.

But, the WHO's vaccine advisory group continues to say ‘it is not recommending Ebola vaccination for pregnant women.’   

‘While the investigational vaccine called rVSV-ZEBOV has shown to be highly protective against Ebola virus infection, the WHO says there is not enough research to risk the health of pregnant women nor their future child.’ 

Since the CDC says there are no FDA-approved vaccines or specific Ebola treatments, it is important to take steps to prevent catching this virus.

 

Our Trust Standards: Medical Advisory Committee

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