By Ismail Auwal
The World Health Organisation on Monday said that an Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea poses a regional risk that requires exceptional vigilance.
Congo has confirmed four cases of Ebola since a resurgence of the virus was announced on Feb. 7 in Butembo, the epicentre of a previous outbreak that was declared over last June.
An Ebola vaccination campaign has begun in Butembo, in eastern DRC, the WHO said in a tweet on Monday. Separately, the West African country of Guinea declared a new Ebola outbreak on Sunday, with seven confirmed cases and three deaths.
“We have to be exceptionally vigilant, highly alert”, Mike Ryan, WHO’s top emergency expert, told a news briefing.
“This disease (Ebola) represents a regional risk”
The Ebola virus causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and is spread through contact with body fluids.