The latest African news includes reports of a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the second time this year that the country has had to deal with the deadly disease, and health officials are working hard to contain it. In other news, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to create a new ministry dedicated to combating corruption. The move comes after years of scandals involving government officials and private businesses.
The Ebola outbreak in Congo is a public health emergency of international concern, according to the World Health Organization.
The current outbreak, which began in early May, has so far killed 27 people. It’s the second time this year that the virus has struck Congo; an earlier outbreak in the country’s northwest killed 33 people.
This new cluster is occurring in the city of Mbandaka, a busy transport hub on the Congo River with a population of more than 1 million. The city is about 150 miles (250 kilometers) from Bikoro, where the earlier outbreak occurred.
Ebola is a serious and often fatal illness that causes fever, body aches, diarrhea and bleeding. It can spread quickly through contact with even small amounts of bodily fluid from an infected person.
There is no specific treatment for Ebola, and it can be difficult to control because it spreads easily through close contact with people who are sick or have died from the disease. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to survival.
The WHO has deployed more than 50 experts to Congo to help contain the outbreak. They are working with Congolese health officials to track down people who may have been exposed to Ebola and provide them with vaccines.
