WHO: DRC Confirms Case Of Ebola

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While details are scant, the World Health Organization confirmed via their twitter account that 1 person has been confirmed as infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

 

Some media sources are stating that at least three people have died, presumably from the disease, in a remote forested area of northern DRC near the border with the Central African Republic.  As of now, the only official word is the one positive test.

In most cases, it is assumed the the index human infection in each of Africa’s Ebola outbreaks have come as the result of exposure to an infected animal, most commonly through the hunting, preparing, or consuming of bush meat. 

Bats are believed to be the primary host of the four known African species of Ebola (plus Marburg), but other mammals may serve as intermediate hosts as well.

Credit CDC

While the lesson from 2014's Ebola epidemic is `one should never say never', an outbreak deep in the forest is generally more easily contained than one that occurs in a more urban environment.

We should be getting more details on the size, scope, and perhaps the origin of this outbreak in the coming days.