GHN News

Volunteers medical team prepare to buy the body of an Ebola victim. Conakry, Guinea. September, 2014.
Image: Mamadou Cellou Diallo/Anadolu Agency/Getty

Ebola is Back in Guinea and DRC

A new Ebola outbreak has been declared in Guinea, marking the first cases reported there since West Africa’s devastating outbreak ended in 2016, WHO reports.

7 people fell ill after attending the burial of a nurse on February 1, and at least 3 people have died, The New York Times reports.

The outbreak is “a huge concern,” but health authorities are taking swift action to trace the virus and deploying key lessons learned—and new interventions—from the previous outbreak, said WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti.

Game Changer: There are now 2 Ebola vaccines—which were key to ending an outbreak in the DRC last summer.

Now, the DRC has also reported 4 new Ebola cases in a week in Butembo, the epicenter of the previous outbreak, 7sur7.cd reports. A cycle of violence and mass movement of people in the region continues to be a concerning factor that could hamper response efforts.

Ebola vaccines—which are not for routine use—are being deployed to both Guinea and the DRC.

Related:

Ebola in Guinea: A note on geography – H5N1

Health: Without vaccine, Guinea faces Ebola again – guineenews.org