December 17,2021

Andrew Campbell 

The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) ministry of health confirmed the end of an Ebola outbreak that began in early October in the eastern North Kivu province and infected eleven people, killing six of them, according to national health authorities. This was the country's 13th outbreak, and it took place in the same area as the two-year-long outbreak that happened in 2018.

After a 42-day countdown, or two incubation periods after the last confirmed case was discharged, no additional cases were reported. The epidemic, which was proclaimed on October 8 after a new case was verified in Beni health zone in the Congo's North Kivu Province, has so far resulted in 11 cases (eight confirmed, three probable), as well as six deaths.

In a campaign that began just five days after the first case was discovered in early October, more than 1800 people were vaccinated. The freshly approved ERVEBO Ebola vaccine was used for the first time in DRC during this outbreak. ERVEBO is the same as the compassionate-use vaccine, but because it is a licensed vaccine, it is easier to distribute.

The Ebola virus has proven especially difficult to contain in North Kivu, which is home to a number of armed groups, with an earlier outbreak reported between February and May 2021. However, in North Kivu Province, the DRC government has developed an Ebola Survivor Program, which already has over 1100 people who have survived previous outbreaks. The two survivors of the now-defunct epidemic have been accepted into the survivor program. Over the next 18 months, they will undergo monthly check-ups that will involve medical examinations, psychological counseling, and nutritional help.