Published Date: 2007-09-14 13:00:10
Subject: PRO/AH> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (03): WHO
Archive Number: 20070914.3049
EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - CONGO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (03): WHO
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A ProMED-mail post
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Date: Thu 13 Sep 2007
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) Epidemic and Pandemic Alert
and Response (EPR) disease outbreak news [edited]
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_09_13/en/index.html>
The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola haemorrhagic fever update
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Following the confirmed laboratory diagnosis of the presence of Ebola
haemorrhagic fever virus in samples taken from cases in the province
of Kasai Occidental of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO is
currently upgrading its field operations to support the Ministry of
Health in managing and containing the outbreak.
A team from the WHO Country Office has been present in the affected
area since 3 Sep 2007 with further staff from the WHO Regional Office
for Africa joining the field operations on 7 Sep 2007 and this week
from WHO Headquarters. The WHO team is working closely with
representatives of the Ministry of Health and Medecins Sans
Frontieres to upgrade the existing facilities. Of high priority is
the establishment of a mobile field laboratory to be attached to the
existing isolation ward in order to expedite rapid diagnosis of
patients and to differentiate between the different pathogens, such
as _Shigella dysenteriae_ type 1, that have also been associated with
this outbreak. Ongoing surveillance and case finding is also being
enhanced and social mobilization activities are under-way to provide
the local population with all relevant information in order to
contain the outbreak.
WHO is also establishing a logistics platform in the vicinity to
support the field operations and to facilitate access to the affected area.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Marianne Hopp
[Definitive information on the extent and progress of the outbreak
has yet to become available. - Mod.CP]
See Also
Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (02) 20070912.3026Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR 20070910.2996
Undiagnosed illness - Congo DR (Kasai Occidental): WHO, RFI 20070901.2882
Viral hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (Kasai Occidental): susp. 20070829.2837
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