AFRICA CDC WEEKLY BRIEF Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Epidemiological Week 46 (11-17 November 2019) Issue 14, November 19, 2019

1. Ebola virus disease outbreak overview

100 Total new 90 confirmed cases this week 80 9 70 Total cases 60

50 3296 40 67% 30 case fatality New confirmed Total dead 20 20 12 cases 10 10 12 9 New recovered 2196 9 9 7 3 New confirmed 0 2 4 3 deaths Epi week 43 Epi week 44 Epi week 45 Epi week 46 Total (21-27 October) (28 October-3 November) (4-10 November) (11-17 November) recovered 1070

2. Epidemic curve for confirmed and probable cases by date of onset 10th Ebola outbreak, DRC, 2018–2019

140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

2 Sep 9 Dec 6 Jan 3 Feb 3 Mar 9 Jun 7 Jul 4 Aug 16 Sep 30 Sep 14 Oct 28 Oct 11 Nov 25 Nov 23 Dec 20 Jan 17 Feb 17 Mar 31 Mar 14 Apr 28 Apr 12 May 26 May 23 Jun 21 Jul 18 Aug 25 Aug 1 Sep 8 Sep 15 Sep22 Sep29 Sep6 Oct13 Oct20 Oct27 Oct3 Nov10 Nov17 Nov 2018 2019

7 May 2019 New vaccination recommendations 12 August 2019 issued by SAGE Preliminary trial results show improved survival among Ebola 11 June 2019 patients treated with Confirmed EVD case in Kasese District, Uganda REGN-EB3 or mAb114

30 June 2019 30 July 2019 Confirmed EVD case in Ariwara, DRC Confirmed case in (near Uganda and South Sudan borders) Nyiragongo Health Zone, DRC (outskirts of ) 14 July 2019 One confirmed case in Goma, DRC 17 July 2019 Fourth meeting of IHR Emergency Committee: EVD outbreak declared PHEIC

IHR = International Health Regulations; SAGE = Strategic Advisory Group of Experts; PHEIC = Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Page 1 www.africacdc.org Data provided by the DRC Ministry of Public Health 3. Affected areas 4. Africa CDC response activities this week • The Regional Collaborating Centres continued to support South Sudan preparedness in Member States, including sharing information and discussing preparedness plans during the weekly ECHO sessions.

Ituri • Africa CDC volunteers and experts supported tracing of 1377 contacts and investigation of 2611 alerts, including active case-finding for 1477 Uganda suspected cases. Democratic Republic Rwanda • Africa CDC teams made 108 visits to health care facilities and of Congo Burundi trained 169 health care workers in infection prevention and risk communication. They evaluated 14 health care facilities and South Kivu accompanied 247 health care workers to ensure compliance with infection prevention measures. • Africa CDC-supported laboratories in , Bunia, Komanda, Bukavu, Mambasa, and Goma received and tested 1885 samples.

5. Story of hope from Ebola virus disease response

“I cried hot tears. I didn’t think I would come out alive.”

“I am Gratienne Kavira, an Ebola survivor. My story began “The days seemed like an eternity to me, I imagined myself when I went to visit a sick friend in a local hospital. At the leaving the centre in a coffin. The nurses were very kind, hospital I helped her get into a chair and spent almost an they comforted me. hour with her in the care room before going home. “After spending five days in treatment, I was told that I “Five days after, I started bleeding. I was scared because was completely cured and that I could go home the next I was pregnant and quickly went to the nearest health day. I couldn’t believe my ears, I didn’t think I would come centre. There I was told that I had lost the pregnancy and out alive. curettage was quickly performed for me. While I was under “Thanks to the tenacity of the Africa CDC volunteer valiant observation, the head doctor of the hospital arrived, and the doctor, I was transported on time and treated, and I was midwives informed him about my situation. Then he alerted able to overcome the disease. I would be eternally grateful the Ebola virus disease response team. to him and the other team members.” “The team arrived after a few minutes and spoke to me, Mrs Kavira Gratienne is an Ebola virus disease survivor but after some questioning, I stopped responding knowing who lives in Ngere District, one of the most difficult areas that they were part of the response team and that they may for EVD response activities in the Vulamba Health Area. convince me to go to an Ebola treatment centre. I was afraid Since she recovered from EVD, she has been working because of the rumors in my community that anyone who with the communications teams in responding to EVD as went to the centre never returned alive. a community relay. “I had no fever or headache and I was not vomiting; for me these were the only signs of Ebola virus disease. It took Dr Blanchard Bile, an Africa CDC volunteer, four hours to convince me to follow them in an ambulance to the Ebola treatment centre in Butembo. “The tests conducted at the centre were positive for Ebola virus and the medical staff told me that I had Ebola. They told me to stay in the centre and that they would take care of me. I was moved to the confirmed case compartment same night. I cried hot tears. “The next morning Dr Bile came to visit me and offered to have my relatives vaccinated and I consented. My two children, my husband, some of my friends, and family Mrs Gratienne Kavira (middle) after being discharged members with whom I was in contact, were vaccinated from the Ebola treatment centre on the same day.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), African Union Commission Roosevelt Street W21 K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

+251 11 551 7700 [email protected] www.africacdc.org africacdc @AfricaCDC Page 2