Ebola Spreads to New Province in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Two new cases of Ebola have been diagnosed in the district of Lwindi in the province of South Kivu. Both patients visited Beni, in the province of North Kivu, which is the centre of the outbreak. Previously, all reported cases occurred in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. It remains to be seen if these cases generate any local spread of the epidemic.

Advice

At this moment, the risk of exposure for the general traveller is very low unless the traveller is providing health care for Ebola patients or actively involved in the epidemic control measures. Although there are some new treatments for Ebola, any traveller in the affected area should still avoid any direct contact with anyone suspected to have this infection since it is highly contagious and lethal. Transmission often occurs during burial rituals (such as washing the body), close physical contact with infected persons and their body fluids, during sexual contact or within hospitals through contact with blood and body fluids of infected persons.