The origins of a new Ebola case is being looked into by health experts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to laboratory findings, a woman in the city of Beni passed away as a result of the virus, the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) reported today.
A statement by the INRB, seen by Reuters, disclosed that the new Ebola case is genetically linked to the 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. That outbreak had killed more than 2000 people. Last year, an Ebola outbreak killed seven people.
The latest confirmed case came days after a woman admitted to a hospital in the city of Beni died. The city of Beni is said to be geographically different from the known epicentres of the virus. So, authorities are trying to establish a correlation.
“Our initial findings indicate that this case likely represents a new flare-up of the 2018-2020 Nord Kivu/Ituri outbreak, initiated by transmission of Ebola virus from a persistently infected survivor or a survivor who experienced a relapse,” the statement by the INRB explained.
As epidemiologists work to establish the connection, all 131 persons who were in contact with the latest Ebola victim have all been identified. Among them are 60 front-line healthcare workers, 59 of whom are vaccinated against the deadly virus.
The DRC has been dealing with intermittent Ebola outbreaks over the years. Specifically, a total of 14 outbreaks have been recorded between 1976 and date. The country’s tropical rain forests are said the be the major source of the virus.
Also, Ebola survivors can remain vectors for a while as the virus can linger in survivors’ bodily fluids central nervous systems and even in the eyes.