Abidjan/Brazzaville: After 25 years of being free from Ebola, Cote D’Ivoire has declared its first case of the Ebola outbreak.
The Ministry of Health of Cote d’Ivoire confirmed the country’s first case of Ebola after the Institut Pasteur in Cote d’Ivoire confirmed the Ebola Virus Disease in samples collected from a patient.
The patient was hospitalized in the commercial capital of Abidjan, after arriving from Guinea.
How the Ebola Case was discovered
It was discovered that the patient had travelled to Abidjan by road from Guinea and arrived in Abidjan on 12 August.
The patient was admitted to a hospital after experiencing a fever and is currently receiving treatment.
In addition to the confirmed case, one suspected case and nine contacts have been identified and are being monitored. No deaths have been reported.
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There is no indication yet that the current outbreak in Cote d’Ivoire is linked with the one that was in Guinea as further analysis and genomic sequencing will help determine any connection.
Ebola Outbreak in Africa
Guinea had earlier experienced an outbreak of Ebola which lasted for four months.
The Ebola outbreak has also been declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea.
Ebola vaccination Kickoffs for frontline workers
Cote d’Ivoire has launched Ebola vaccination of high-risk populations, including health workers and first responders in Abidjan.
The vaccination began on 16 August with the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine manufactured by Merck as the vaccine doses that the World Health Organization (WHO) helped secure to fight a four-month-long outbreak in Guinea were sent quickly by Guinea to Cote d’Ivoire.
The vaccine deployment from Guinea included 2000 doses from Merck that are being used under the “ring strategy” where people who have come into contact with a confirmed Ebola patient are given the vaccine, as well as first responders and health workers.
In addition, Guinea sent around 3000 vaccine doses manufactured by Johnson & Johnson which are to be used to boost the vaccination in areas not experiencing active transmission.
About Ebola
Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.
The Case fatality rates have varied from 25 per cent to 90 per cent in past outbreaks.
Effective early treatment, which currently exists, and supportive care can significantly improve the chances of surviving Ebola.
