Increased Ebola activity has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since May 2018. Swift and effective public health responses, including the use of an experimental Ebola vaccine, have been successful in containing the outbreak in the northwestern part of the country, which was declared over on July 24.
However, a second outbreak in a separate region of the country was identified several days later. This second outbreak is not thought to be linked to the first. As of October 13, 2018, the World Health Organization has reported over 200 cases and 135 deaths in the most recent outbreak.
Public health officials in the DRC and the global community continue to work diligently to prevent further spread of the Ebola virus. Here in Arizona, public health officials are looking to lessons learned from the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. During that time, public health developed Ebola response plans, including protocols for enhanced surveillance, recommendations for healthcare providers, and toolkits for rapid case investigation and response.
Arizona public health officials are continuously on the watch for infectious disease threats, like Ebola, and regularly update plans and protocols to incorporate the most recent best practices to ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of Arizonans.
If you are planning to travel out of the country, be sure to visit the CDC’s Travelers’ Health webpage for recommended precautions. If you become ill after returning, you should tell your doctor about your recent travel.
